Reproducing apparatus and reproducing method

ABSTRACT

A reproducing apparatus for reproducing data from a record medium having a program area and a management area, the program area being used for recording a plurality of files, the management area being used for managing forging prohibition information against a particular file recorded in the program area is disclosed, the apparatus comprising a calculating means for calculating the forging prohibition information managed in the management area of the record medium whenever a file recorded in the recorde medium is reproduced, a comparing means for comparing a value calculated by the calculating means corresponding to a former reproduction command with a value calculated by the calculating means corresponding to a current reproduction command, and a controlling means for permitting the file corresponding to the current reproduction command to be reproduced when the value calculated corresponding to the former reproduction command is the same as the value calculated corresponding to the current reproduction command as the result of the comparing means.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a reproducing apparatus and areproducing method for checking forged information of a file recorded ina detachable memory card.

2. Description of the Related Art

EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM) that is an electricallyrewritable memory requires a large space because each bit is composed oftwo transistors. Thus, the integration of EEPROM is restricted. To solvethis problem, a flash memory that allows one bit to be accomplished withone transistor using all-bit-erase system has been developed. The flashmemory is being expected as a successor of conventional record mediumssuch as magnetic disks and optical discs.

A memory card using a flash memory is also known. The memory card can befreely attached to an apparatus and detached therefrom. A digital audiorecording/reproducing apparatus that uses a memory card instead of aconventional CD (Compact Disc: Trademark) or MD (Mini Disc: Trademark)can be accomplished.

On the other hand, as audio/video information is digitized and used formulti-media, the copyright protection thereof is becoming important. Inthe field of information services, the user will be provided with arecord medium on which digitized audio/video information havingparticular reproduction limitation information has been recorded. Inaddition, digitized audio/video information having particularreproduction limitation information will be circulated to the userthrough digital broadcast and Internet. The user can reproduce providedor circulated audio/video information (contents) for the duration or thenumber of times represented by the reproduction limitation information.When necessary, the user can record desired audio/video information to amemory card at a predetermined cost.

Although a file containing reproduction limitation information is easilyrecorded and stored, if the reproduction limitation information isforged with a particular means, the reproducing side cannot detect theforged reproduction limitation information. As a simple method fordetecting forged reproduction limitation information, CRC (CyclicRedundancy Check) and a value obtained therewith can be used. However,after reproduction limitation information has been forged, if CRC isforged, the forged reproduction limitation information cannot bedetected.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide areproducing apparatus and a reproducing method that allow forgedreproduction limitation information to be securely detected and contentsto be prevented from being reproduced.

A first aspect of the present invention is a reproducing apparatus forreproducing data from a record medium having a program area and amanagement area, the program area being used for recording a pluralityof files, the management area being used for managing forgingprohibition information against a particular file recorded in theprogram area, the apparatus comprising a calculating means forcalculating the forging prohibition information managed in themanagement area of the record medium whenever a file recorded in therecorde medium is reproduced, a comparing means for comparing a valuecalculated by the calculating means corresponding to a formerreproduction command with a value calculated by the calculating meanscorresponding to a current reproduction command, and a controlling meansfor permitting the file corresponding to the current reproductioncommand to be reproduced when the value calculated corresponding to theformer reproduction command is the same as the value calculatedcorresponding to the current reproduction command as the result of thecomparing means.

A second aspect of the present invention is a reproducing apparatus forreproducing a file from a record medium on which a main file and areproduction management file are recorded, the main file having anattribute header for managing forging prohibition information, thereproduction management file being used for managing at least clockinformation, the apparatus comprising a calculating means forcalculating the forging prohibition information managed in a managementarea of the record medium using a predetermined function whenever themain file recorded on the record medium is reproduced and forcalculating the clock information using the predetermined functionwhenever the clock information is updated, a first comparing means forcomparing a value calculated by the calculating means corresponding to aformer reproduction command with that corresponding to a currentreproduction command, a second comparing means for comparing a valuecalculated by the calculating means corresponding to former clockinformation with a value calculated by the calculating meanscorresponding to current clock information, and a controlling means forpermitting the main file to be reproduced when the value calculatedcorresponding to the former reproduction command is the same as thatcorresponding to the current reproduction command as the result of thefirst comparing means or when the value calculated corresponding to theformer clock information is the same s that corresponding to the currentclock information as the result of the second comparing means.

In this case, when the number of reproduction times CT of the track iszero (namely, CT=0) and the number of reproduction permission times MTis a predetermined value (namely, MT is any positive integer larger thanzero), it is determined that the reproducing operation is performed thenumber of reproduction permission times. Thus, the reproducing operationof the track is prohibited.

These and other objects, features and advantages of the presentinvention will become more apparent in light of the following detaileddescription of a best mode embodiment thereof, as illustrated in theaccompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the structure of a digital audioplayer using a nonvolatile memory card according to the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the internal structure of a DSP 30according to the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the internal structure of a memorycard 40 according to the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a file management structure of amemory card as a storage medium according to the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the physical structure of data ina flash memory 42 of the memory card 40 according to the presentinvention;

FIG. 6 is a data structure of the memory card 40 according to thepresent invention;

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing the hierarchy of the filestructure in the memory card 40;

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing the data structure of areproduction management file PBLIST.MSF that is a sub directory storedin the memory card 40;

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing the data structure in the casethat one ATRAC3 data file is divided into blocks with a predeterminedunit length and that attribute files are added thereto;

FIG. 10A is a schematic diagram showing the file structure before twofiles are edited with a combining process;

FIG. 10B is a schematic diagram showing the file structure after twofiles are edited with a combining process;

FIG. 10C is a schematic diagram showing the file structure after onefile is edited with a dividing process;

FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing the data structure of areproduction management file PBLIST;

FIG. 12A is a schematic diagram showing the data structure of a headerportion of the reproduction management file PBLIST;

FIG. 12B is a schematic diagram showing the data structure of a maindata portion of the reproduction management file PBLIST;

FIG. 12C is a schematic diagram showing the data structure of anadditional information data portion of the reproduction management filePBLIST;

FIG. 13 is a table that correlates showing types of additionalinformation data and code values thereof;

FIG. 14 is a table that correlates types of additional information dataand code values thereof;

FIG. 15 is a table that correlates types of additional information dataand code values thereof;

FIG. 16A is a schematic diagram showing the data structure of additionalinformation data;

FIG. 16B is a schematic diagram showing the data structure in the casethat additional information data is an artist name;

FIG. 16C is a schematic diagram showing the data structure in the casethat additional information data is a copyright code;

FIG. 16D is a schematic diagram showing the data structure in the casethat additional information data is date/time information;

FIG. 16E is a schematic diagram showing the data structure in the casethat additional information data is a reproduction log;

FIG. 17 is a schematic diagram showing a detailed data structure of anATRAC3 data file;

FIG. 18 is a schematic diagram showing the data structure of an upperportion of an attribute header that composes an ATRAC3 data file;

FIG. 19 is a schematic diagram showing the data structure of a middleportion of the attribute header that composes an ATRAC3 data file;

FIG. 20 is a table that correlates record modes, record time, and soforth;

FIG. 21 is a table showing copy control states;

FIG. 22 is a schematic diagram showing the data structure of a lowerportion of the attribute header that composes an ATRAC3 data file;

FIG. 23 is a schematic diagram showing the data structure of a header ofa data block of an ATRAC3 data file;

FIGS. 24A to 24C are flow charts showing a recovering method accordingto the present invention in the case that an FTA area was destroyed;

FIG. 25 is a schematic diagram showing the file structure in the memorycard 40 according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 26 is a schematic diagram showing the relation between a trackinformation management file TRKLIST.MSF and an ATRAC3 data fileA3Dnnnnn.MSA;

FIG. 27 is a schematic diagram showing the detailed data structure ofthe track information management file TRKLIST.MSF;

FIG. 28 is a schematic diagram showing the detailed data structure ofNAME1 for managing a name;

FIG. 29 is a schematic diagram showing the detailed data structure ofNAME2 for managing a name;

FIG. 30 is a schematic diagram showing the detailed data structure of anATRAC3 data file A3Dnnnnn.MSA;

FIG. 31 is a schematic diagram showing the detailed data structure ofINFLIST.MSF that represents additional information;

FIG. 32 is a schematic diagram showing the detailed data structure ofINFLIST.MSF that represents additional information data;

FIG. 33 is a flow chart showing a recovering method according to thesecond embodiment of the present invention in the case that an FAT areawas destroyed;

FIG. 34 is a block diagram showing a forge-checking circuit according tothe present invention;

FIG. 35 is a flow chart showing a forging protection checking processaccording to the first embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 36 is a flow chart showing a forging protection checking processaccording to the second embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1is a block diagram showing the structure of a digital audiorecorder/player using a memory card according to an embodiment of thepresent invention. The digital audio recorder/player records andreproduces a digital audio signal using a detachable memory card. Inreality, the recorder/player composes an audio system along with anamplifying unit, a speaker, a CD player, an MD recorder, a tuner, and soforth. However, it should be noted that the present invention can beapplied to other audio recorders. In other words, the present inventioncan be applied to a portable recording/reproducing apparatus. Inaddition, the present invention can be applied to a set top box thatrecords a digital audio data that is circulated as a satellite datacommunication, a digital broadcast, or Internet. Moreover, the presentinvention can be applied to a system that records/reproduces movingpicture data and still picture data rather than audio data. The systemaccording to the embodiment of the present invention can record andreproduce additional information such as picture and text other than adigital audio signal.

The recording/reproducing apparatus has an audio encoder/decoder IC 10,a security IC 20, a DSP (Digital Signal Processor) 30. Each of thesedevices is composed of a one-chip IC. The recording/reproducingapparatus has a detachable memory card 40. The one-chip IC of the memorycard 40 has flash memory (nonvolatile memory), a memory control block,and a security block. The security block has a DES (Data EncryptionStandard) encrypting circuit. According to the embodiment, therecording/reproducing apparatus may use a microcomputer instead of theDSP 30. The audio encoder/decoder IC 10 has an audio interface 11 and anencoder/decoder block 12. The encoder/decoder block 12 encodes a digitalaudio data corresponding to a highly efficient encoding method andwrites the encoded data to the memory card 40. In addition, theencoder/decoder block 12 decodes encoded data that is read from thememory card 40. As the highly efficient encoding method, the ATRAC3format that is a modification of the ATRAC (Adaptive Transform AcousticCoding) format used in Mini-Disc is used.

In the ATRAC3 format, audio data sampled at 44.1 kHz and quantized with16 bits is highly efficiently encoded. In the ATRAC3 format, the minimumdata unit of audio data that is processed is a sound unit (SU). 1 SU isdata of which data of 1024 samples (1024×16 bits×2 channels) iscompressed to data of several hundred bytes. The duration of 1 SU isaround 23 msec. In the highly efficient encoding method, the data amountof audio data is compressed to data that is around 10 times smaller thanthat of original data. As with the ATRAC1 format used in Mini-Disc, theaudio signal compressed and decompressed corresponding to the ATRAC3format less deteriorates in the audio quality.

A line input selector 13 selectively supplies the reproduction outputsignal of an MD, the output signal of a tuner, or a reproduction outputsignal of a tape to an A/D converter 14. The A/D converter 14 convertsthe input line signal to a digital audio signal (sampling frequency=44.1kHz; the number of quantizing bits=16). A digital input selector 16selectively supplies a digital output signal of an MD, a CD, or a CS(Satellite Digital Broadcast) to a digital input receiver 17. Thedigital input signal is transmitted through for example an opticalcable. An output signal of the digital input receiver 17 is supplied toa sampling rate converter 15. The sampling rate converter 15 convertsthe digital input signal into a digital audio signal (samplingfrequency=44.1 kHz; the number of quantizing bits=16).

The encoder/decoder block 12 of the audio encoder/decoder IC 10 suppliesencoded data to a DES encrypting circuit 22 through an interface 21 ofthe security IC 20. The DES encrypting circuit 22 has a FIFO 23. The DESencrypting circuit 22 is disposed so as to protect the copyright ofcontents. The memory card 40 also has a DES encrypting circuit. The DESencrypting circuit 22 of the recording/reproducing apparatus has aplurality of master keys and an apparatus-unique storage key. The DESencrypting circuit 22 also has a random number generating circuit. TheDES encrypting circuit 22 can share an authenticating process and asession key with the memory card 40 that has the DES encrypting circuit.In addition, the DES encrypting circuit 22 can re-encrypt data with thestorage key of the DES encrypting circuit.

The encrypted audio data that is output from the DES encrypting circuit22 is supplied to a DSP (Digital Signal Processor) 30. The DSP 30communicates with the memory card 40 through an interface. In thisexample, the memory card 40 is attached to an attaching/detachingmechanism (not shown) of the recording/reproducing apparatus. The DSP 30writes the encrypted data to the flash memory of the memory card 40. Theencrypted data is serially transmitted between the DSP 30 and the memorycard 40. In addition, an external SRAM (Static Random Access Memory) 31is connected to the DSP 30. The SRAM 31 provides therecording/reproducing apparatus with a sufficient storage capacity so asto control the memory card 40.

A bus interface 32 is connected to the DSP 30. Data is supplied from anexternal controller (not shown) to the DSP 30 through a bus 33. Theexternal controller controls all operations of the audio system. Theexternal controller supplies data such as a record command or areproduction command that is generated corresponding to a user'soperation through an operation portion to the DSP 30 through the businterface 32. In addition, the external controller supplies additionalinformation such as image information and character information to theDSP 30 through the bus interface 32. The bus 33 is a bidirectionalcommunication path. Additional information that is read from the memorycard 40 is supplied to the external controller through the DSP 30, thebus interface 32, and the bus 33. In reality, the external controller isdisposed in for example an amplifying unit of the audio system. Inaddition, the external controller causes a display portion to displayadditional information, the operation state of the recorder, and soforth. The display portion is shared by the audio system. Since datathat is exchanged through the bus 33 is not copyright protected data, itis not encrypted.

The encrypted audio data that is read from the memory card 40 by the DSP30 is decrypted by the security IC 20. The audio encoder/decoder IC 10decodes the encoded data corresponding to the ATRAC3 format. Output dataof the audio encoder/decoder 10 is supplied to a D/A converter 18. TheD/A converter 18 converts the output data of the audio encoder/decoder10 into an analog signal. The analog audio signal is supplied to a lineoutput terminal 19.

The analog audio signal is supplied to an amplifying unit (not shown)through the line output terminal 19. The analog audio signal isreproduced from a speaker or a head set. The external controllersupplies a muting signal to the D/A converter 18. When the muting signalrepresents a mute-on state, the external controller prohibits the audiosignal from being output from the line output terminal 19.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the internal structure of the DSP 30.Referring to FIG. 2, the DSP 30 comprises a core 34, a flash memory 35,an SRAM 36, a bus interface 37, a memory card interface 38, andinter-bus bridges. The DSP 30 has the same function as a microcomputer.The core 34 is equivalent to a CPU. The flash memory 35 stores a programthat causes the DSP 30 to perform predetermined processes. The SRAM 36and the external SRAM 31 are used as a RAM of the recording/reproducingapparatus.

The DSP 30 controls a writing process for writing encrypted audio dataand additional information to the memory card 40 corresponding to anoperation signal such as a record command received through the businterfaces 32 and 37 and a reading process for reading them therefrom.In other words, the DSP 30 is disposed between the application softwareside of the audio system that records/reproduces audio data andadditional information and the memory card 40. The DSP 30 is operatedwhen the memory card 40 is accessed. In addition, the DSP 30 is operatedcorresponding to software such as a file system.

The DSP 30 manages files stored in the memory card 40 with the FATsystem used in conventional personal computers. In addition to the filesystem, according to the embodiment of the present invention, amanagement file is used. The management file will be descried later. Themanagement file is used to manage data files stored in the memory card40. The management file as the first file management information is usedto manage audio data files. On the other hand, the FAT as the secondfile management information is used to mange all files including audiodata files and management files stored in the flash memory of the memorycard 40. The management file is stored in the memory card 40. The FAT iswritten to the flash memory along with the route directory and so forthbefore the memory card 40 is shipped. The details of the FAT will bedescribed later.

According to the embodiment of the present invention, to protect thecopyright of data, audio data that has been compressed corresponding tothe ATRAC3 format is encrypted. On the other hand, since it is notnecessary to protect the copyright of the management file, it is notencrypted. There are two types of memory cards that are an encryptiontype and a non-encryption type. However, a memory card for use with therecorder/player that records copyright protected data is limited to theencryption type.

Voice data and image data that are recorded by users are recorded onnon-encryption type memory cards.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the internal structure of the memorycard 40. The memory card 40 comprises a control block 41 and a flashmemory 42 that are structured as a one-chip IC. A bidirectional serialinterface is disposed between the DSP 30 of the recorder/player and thememory card 40. The bidirectional serial interface is composed of tenlines that are a clock line SCK for transmitting a clock signal that istransmitted along with data, a status line SBS for transmitting a signalthat represents a status, a data line DIO for transmitting data, aninterrupt line INT, two GND lines, two INT lines, and two reservedlines.

The clock line SCK is used for transmitting a clock signal insynchronization with data. The status line SBS is used for transmittinga signal that represents the status of the memory card 40. The data lineDIO is used for inputting and outputting a command and encrypted audiodata. The interrupt line INT is used for transmitting an interruptsignal that causes the memory card 40 to interrupt the DSP 30 of therecorder/player. When the memory card 40 is attached to therecorder/player, the memory card 40 generates the interrupt signal.However, according to the embodiment of the present invention, since theinterrupt signal is transmitted through the data line DIO, the interruptline INT is grounded.

A serial/parallel converting, parallel/serial converting, and interfaceblock (S/P, P/S, I/F block) 43 is an interface disposed between the DSP30 of the recorder/player and the control block 41 of the memory card40. The S/P, P/S, and IF block 43 converts serial data received from theDSP 30 of the recorder/player into parallel data and supplies theparallel data to the control block 41. In addition, the S/P, P/S, and IFblock 43 converts parallel data received from the control block 41 intoserial data and supplies the serial data to the DSP 30. When the S/P,P/S, and IF block 43 receives a command and data through the data lineDIO, the S/P, P/S, and IF block 43 separates them into these that arenormally accessed to the flash memory 42 and those that are encrypted.

In the format of which data is transmitted through the data line DIO,after a command is transmitted, data is transmitted. The S/P, P/S, andIF block 43 detects the code of a command and determines whether thecommand and data are those that are normally accessed or those that areencoded. Corresponding to the determined result, the S/P, P/S, and IFblock 43 stores a command that is normally accessed to a commandregister 44 and stores data that is normally accessed to a page buffer45 and a write register 46. In association with the write register 46,the memory card 40 has an error correction code encoding circuit 47. Theerror correction code encoding circuit 47 generates a redundant codethat is an error correction code for data temporarily stored in the pagebuffer 45.

Output data of the command register 44, the page buffer 45, the writeregister 46, and the error correction code encoding circuit 47 issupplied to a flash memory interface and sequencer (hereinafter,referred to as memory I/F and sequencer) 51. The memory IF and sequencer51 is an interface disposed between the control block 41 and the flashmemory 42 and controls data exchanged therebetween. Data is written tothe flash memory through the memory IF and sequencer 51.

Audio data that has been compressed corresponding to the ATRAC3 formatand written to the flash memory (hereinafter, this audio data isreferred to as ATRAC3 data) is encrypted by the security IC 20 of therecorder/player and the security block 52 of the memory card 40 so as toprotect the copyright of the ATRAC3 data. The security block 52comprises a buffer memory 53, a DES encrypting circuit 54, and anonvolatile memory 55.

The security block 52 of the memory card 40 has a plurality ofauthentication keys and a unique storage key for each memory card. Thenonvolatile memory 55 stores a key necessary for encrypting data. Thekey stored in the nonvolatile memory 55 cannot be analyzed. According tothe embodiment, for example, a storage key is stored in the nonvolatilememory 55. The security block 52 also has a random number generatingcircuit. The security block 52 authenticates an applicablerecorder/player and shares a session key therewith. In addition, thesecurity block 52 re-encrypts contents with the storage key through theDSE encrypting circuit 54.

For example, when the memory card 40 is attached to the recorder/player,they are mutually authenticated. The security IC 20 of therecorder/player and the security block 52 of the memory card 40 mutuallyauthenticate. When the recorder/player has authenticated the attachedmemory card 40 as an applicable memory card and the memory card 40 hasauthenticated the recorder/player as an applicable recorder/player, theyare mutually authenticated. After the mutual authenticating process hasbeen successfully performed, the recorder/player and the memory card 40generate respective session keys and share them with each other.Whenever the recorder/player and the memory card 40 authenticate eachother, they generate respective session keys.

When contents are written to the memory card 40, the recorder/playerencrypts a contents key with a session key and supplies the encrypteddata to the memory card 40. The memory card 40 decrypts the contents keywith the session key, re-encrypts the contents key with a storage key,and supplies the contents key to the recorder/player. The storage key isa unique key for each memory card 40. When the recorder/player receivesthe encrypted contents key, the recorder/player performs a formattingprocess for the encrypted contents key, and writes the encryptedcontents key and the encrypted contents to the memory card 40.

In the above section, the writing process for the memory card 40 wasdescribed. In the following, the reading process for the memory card 40will be described. Data that is read from the flash memory 42 issupplied to the page buffer 45, the read register 48, and the errorcorrection circuit 49 through the memory IF and the sequencer 51. Theerror correcting circuit 49 corrects an error of the data stored in thepage buffer 45. Output data of the page buffer 45 that has beenerror-corrected and the output data of the read register 48 are suppliedto the S/P, P/S, and IF block 43. The output data of the S/P, P/S, andIF block 43 is supplied to the DSP 30 of the recorder/player through theabove-described serial interface.

When data is read from the memory card 40, the contents key encryptedwith the storage key and the contents encrypted with the block key areread from the flash memory 42. The security block 52 decrypts thecontents key with the storage key. The security block 52 re-encrypts thedecrypted content key with the session key and transmits there-encrypted contents key to the recorder/player. The recorder/playerdecrypts the contents key with the received session key and generates ablock key with the decrypted contents key. The recorder/playersuccessively decrypts the encrypted ATRAC3 data.

A config. ROM 50 is a memory that stores partition information, varioustypes of attribute information, and so forth of the memory card 40. Thememory card 40 also has an erase protection switch 60. When the switch60 is in the erase protection position, even if a command that causesthe memory card 40 to erase data stored in the flash memory 42 issupplied from the recorder/player side to the memory card 40, the memorycard 40 is prohibited from erasing the data stored in the flash memory42. An OSC cont. 61 is an oscillator that generates a clock signal thatis the reference of the timing of the process of the memory card 40.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the hierarchy of the processes ofthe file system of the computer system that uses a memory card as astorage medium. On the hierarchy, the top hierarchical level is anapplication process layer. The application process layer is followed bya file management process layer, a logical address management layer, aphysical address management layer, and a flash memory access layer. Inthe above-mentioned hierarchical structure, the file management processlayer is the FAT file system. Physical addresses are assigned toindividual blocks of the flash memory. The relation between the blocksof the flash memory and the physical addresses thereof does not vary.Logical addresses are addresses that are logically handled on the filemanagement process layer.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the physical structure of datahandled in the flash memory 42 of the memory card 40. In the memory 42,a data unit (referred to as segment) is divided into a predeterminednumber of blocks (fixed length). One block is divided into apredetermined number of pages (fixed length). In the flash memory, datais erased as each block at a time. Data is written to the flash memory42 or read therefrom as a page at a time. The size of each block is thesame. Likewise, the size of each page is the same. One block is composedof page 0 to page m. For example, one block has a storage capacity offor example 8 KB (kilobytes) or 16 KB. One page has a storage capacityof 512 B (bytes). When one block has a storage capacity of 8 KB, thetotal storage capacity of the flash memory 42 is 4 MB (512 blocks) or 8MB (1024 blocks). When one block has a storage capacity of 16 KB, thetotal storage capacity of the flash memory 42 is 16 MB (1024 blocks), 32MB (2048 blocks), or 64 MB (4096 blocks).

One page is composed of a data portion of 512 bytes and a redundantportion of 16 bytes. The first three bytes of the redundant portion isan overwrite portion that is rewritten whenever data is updated. Thefirst three bytes successively contain a block status area, a pagestatus area, and an update status area. The remaining 13 bytes of theredundant portion are fixed data that depends on the contents of thedata portion. The 13 bytes contain a management flag area (1 byte), alogical address area (2 bytes), a format reserve area (5 bytes), adispersion information ECC area (2 bytes), and a data ECC area (3bytes). The dispersion information ECC area contains redundant data foran error correction process against the management flag area, thelogical address area, and the format reserve area. The data ECC areacontains redundant data for an error correction process against 512-bytedata.

The management flag area contains a system flag (1: user block, 0: bootblock), a conversion table flag (1: invalid, 0: table block), a copyprohibition flag (1: OK, 0: NG), and an access permission flag (1: free,0: read protect).

The first two blocks—blocks 0 and 1 are boot blocks. The block 1 is abackup of the block 0. The boot blocks are top blocks that are valid inthe memory card. When the memory card is attached to therecorder/player, the boot blocks are accessed at first. The remainingblocks are user blocks. Page 0 of the boot block contains a header area,a system entry area, and a boot and attribute information area. Page 1of the boot block contains a prohibited block data area. Page 2 of theboot block contains a CIS (Card Information Structure)/IDI (identifyDrive Information) area.

The header area of the boot block contains a boot block ID and thenumber of effective entries. The system entries are the start positionof prohibited block data, the data size thereof, the data type thereof,the data start position of the CIS/IDI area, the data size thereof, andthe data type thereof. The boot and attribute information contains thememory card type (read only type, rewritable type, or hybrid type), theblock size, the number of blocks, the number of total blocks, thesecurity/non-security type, the card fabrication data (date offabrication), and so forth.

Since the flash memory has a restriction for the number of rewrite timesdue to the deterioration of the insulation film, it is necessary toprevent the same storage area (block) from being concentratedlyaccessed. Thus, when data at a particular logical address stored at aparticular physical address is rewritten, updated data of a particularblock is written to a non-used block rather than the original block.Thus, after data is updated, the relation between the logical addressand the physical address changes. This process is referred to as swapprocess. Consequently, the same block is prevented from beingconcentratedly accessed. Thus, the service life of the flash memory canbe prolonged.

The logical address associates with data written to the block. Even ifthe block of the original data is different from the block of updateddata, the address on the FAT does not change. Thus, the same data can beproperly accessed. However, since the swap process is performed, aconversion table that correlates logical addresses and physicaladdresses is required (this table is referred to as logical-physicaladdress conversion table). With reference to the logical-physicaladdress conversion table, a physical address corresponding to a logicaladdress designated on the FAT is obtained. Thus, a block designated witha physical address can be accessed.

The DSP 30 stores the logical-physical address conversion table in theSRAM. When the storage capacity of the RAM is small, thelogical-physical address conversion table can be stored to the flashmemory. The logical-physical address conversion table correlates logicaladdresses (2 bytes) sorted in the ascending order with physicaladdresses (2 bytes). Since the maximum storage capacity of the flashmemory is 128 MB (8192 blocks), 8192 addresses can be assigned with twobytes. The logical-physical address conversion table is managed for eachsegment. Thus, the size of the logical-physical address conversion tableis proportional to the storage capacity of the flash memory. When thestorage capacity of the flash memory is 8 MB (two segments), two pagesare used as the logical-physical address conversion table for each ofthe segments. When the conversion table is stored in the flash memory, apredetermined one bit of the management flag area in the redundantportion in each page represents whether or not the current block is ablock containing the logical-physical address conversion table.

The above-described memory card can be used with the FAT file system ofa personal computer system as with the disc shaped record medium. Theflash memory has an IPL area, a FAT area, and a route directory area(not shown in FIG. 5). The IPL area contains the address of a program tobe initially loaded to the memory of the recorder/player. In addition,the IPL area contains various types of memory information. The FAT areacontains information with respect to blocks (clusters). The FAT hasdefined unused blocks, next block number, defective blocks, and lastblock number. The route directory area contains directory entries thatare a file attribute, an update date [day, month, year], file size, andso forth.

Next, with reference to FIG. 6, a managing method using the FAT tablewill be described.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a memory map. The top area of thememory map is a partition table portion. The partition table portion isfollowed by a block area, a boot sector, a FAT area, a FAT backup area,a root directory area, a sub directory area, and a data area. On thememory map, logical addresses have been converted into physicaladdresses corresponding to the logical-physical address conversiontable.

The boot sector, the FAT area, the FAT backup area, the root directoryarea, the sub directory area, and the data area are referred to as FATpartition area.

The partition table portion contains the start address and the endaddress of the FAT partition area.

The FAT used for a conventional floppy disk does not have such apartition table. Since the first track has only a partition table, thereis a blank area. The boot sector contains the size of the FAT structure(12 bit FAT or 16 bit FAT), the cluster size, and the size of each area.The FAT is used to manage the position of a file recorded in the dataarea. The FAT copy area is a FAT backup area. The route directory areacontains file names, start cluster addresses thereof, and variousattributes thereof. The route directory area uses 32 bytes per file.

The sub directory area is achieved by a directory attribute file as adirectory. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the sub directory area hasfour files named PBLIST.MSF, CAT.MSF, DOG.MSF, and MAN.MFA. The subdirectory area is used to manage file names and record positions on theFAT. In other words, the slot of the file name CAT.MSF is assignedaddress “10” on the FAT. The slot of the file name DOG.MSF is assignedaddress “10” on the FAT. An area after cluster 2 is used as a data area.In this embodiment, audio data that has been compressed corresponding tothe ATRAC3 format is recorded. The top slot of the file name MAN.MSA isassigned address “110” on the FAT. According to the embodiment of thepresent invention, audio data with the file name CAT.MSF is recorded tocluster 5 to 8. Audio data of DOG-1 as the first half of the file withthe file name DOG.MSF is recorded to clusters 10 to 12. Audio data DOG-2as the second half of the file with the file name DOG.MSF is recorded inclusters 100 and 101. Audio data with the file name MAN.MSF is recordedin clusters 110 and 111.

In the embodiment of the present invention, an example of which a singlefile is divided into two portions and dispersedly recorded is described.In the embodiment, an area “Empty” in the data area is a recordablearea. An area after cluster 200 is used for managing file names. Thefile CAT.MSF is recorded to cluster 200. The file DOG.MSF is recorded tocluster 201. The file MAN.MSF is recorded to cluster 202. When thepositions of the files are changed, the area after cluster 200 isre-arranged. When the memory card is attached, the beginning and the endof the FAT partition area are recorded with reference to the toppartition table portion. After the boot sector portion is reproduced,the root directory area and the sub directory area are reproduced. Theslot of the reproduction management information PBLIST.MSF in the subdirectory area is detected. Thus, the address of the end portion of theslot of the file PBLIST.MSF is obtained. In the embodiment, sinceaddress “200” is recorded at the end of the file PBLIST.MSF, cluster 200is referenced.

The area after cluster 200 is used for managing the reproduction orderof files. In the embodiment, the file CAT.MSA is the first program. Thefile DOG.MSA is the second program. The file MAN.MSA is the thirdprogram. After the area after cluster 200 is referenced, slots of thefiles CAT.MSA, DOG.MSA, and MAN.MSA are referenced. In FIG. 6, the endof the slot of the file CAT.MSA is assigned address “5”. The end of theslot of the file DOG.MSA is assigned address “10”. The end of the slotof the file MAN.MSA is assigned address “110”. When an entry address issearched on the FAT with address “5”, cluster address “6” is obtained.When an entry address is searched on the FAT with address “6”, clusteraddress “6” is obtained. When an entry address is searched on the FATwith address “8”, code “FFF” that represents the end is obtained. Thus,the file CAT.MSA uses clusters 5, 6, 7, and 8. With reference toclusters 5, 6, 7, and 8 in the data area, an area of ATRAC3 data withthe file name CAT.MSA can be accessed.

Next, a method for searching the file DOG.MSF that has been dispersedlyrecorded will be described. The end of the slot of the file DOG.MSA isassigned address “10”. When an entry address on the FAT is searched withaddress “10”, cluster address “11” is obtained. When an entry address onthe FAT is searched with address “11” is referenced, cluster address“12” is obtained. When an entry address on the FAT is searched withaddress “12” is referenced, cluster address “101” is obtained. Whenentry address “101” is referenced, code “FFF” that represents the end isobtained. Thus, the file DOG.MSF uses clusters 10, 11, 12, 100, and 101.When clusters 10, 11, and 12 are referenced, the first part of ATRAC3data of the file DOG.MSF can be accessed. When the clusters 100 and 101are referenced, the second part of ATRAC3 data of the file DOG.MSF canbe accessed. In addition, when an entry address is searched on the FATwith address “110”, cluster address “101” is obtained. When an entryaddress “111” is searched on the FAT with address “101”, code “FFF” thatrepresents the end is obtained. Thus, it is clear that the file MAN.MSAuses clusters 110 and 111. As described above, data files dispersed inthe flash memory can be linked and sequentially reproduced.

According to the embodiment of the present invention, in addition to thefile management system defined in the format of the memory card 40, themanagement file is used for managing tracks and parts of music files.The management file is recorded to a user block of the flash memory 42of the memory card 40. Thus, as will be described later, even if the FATof the memory card 40 is destroyed, a file can be recovered.

The management file is generated by the DSP 30. When the power of therecorder/player is turned on, the DSP 30 determines whether or not thememory card 40 has been attached to the recorder/player. When the memorycard has been attached, the DSP 30 authenticates the memory card 40.When the DSP 30 has successfully authenticated the memory card 40, theDSP 30 reads the boot block of the flash memory 42. Thus, the DSP 30reads the physical-logical address conversion table and stores the readdata to the SRAM. The FAT and the route directory have been written tothe flash memory of the memory card 40 before the memory card 40 isshipped. When data is recorded to the memory card 40, the managementfile is generated.

In other words, a record command issued by the remote controller of theuser or the like is supplied to the DSP 30 from the external controllerthrough the bus and the bus interface 32. The encoder/decoder IC 10compresses the received audio data and supplies the resultant ATRAC3data to the security IC 20. The security IC 20 encrypts the ATRAC3 data.The encrypted ATRAC3 data is recorded to the flash memory 42 of thememory card 40. Thereafter, the FAT and the management file are updated.Whenever a file is updated (in reality, whenever the recording processof audio data is completed), the FAT and the management file stored inthe SRAMs 31 and 36 are rewritten. When the memory card 40 is detachedor the power of the recorder/player is turned off, the FAT and themanagement file that are finally supplied from the SRAMs 31 and 36 arerecorded to the flash memory 42. Alternatively, whenever the recordingprocess of audio data is completed, the FAT and the management filewritten in the flash memory 42 may be rewritten. When audio data isedited, the contents of the management file are updated.

In the data structure according to the embodiment, additionalinformation is contained in the management file. The additionalinformation is updated and recorded to the flash memory 42. In anotherdata structure of the management file, an additional informationmanagement file is generated besides the track management file. Theadditional information is supplied from the external controller to theDSP 30 through the bus and the bus interface 32. The additionalinformation is recorded to the flash memory 42 of the memory card 40.Since the additional information is not supplied to the security IC 20,it is not encrypted. When the memory card 40 is detached from therecorder/player or the power thereof is turned off, the additionalinformation is written from the SRAM of the DSP 30 to the flash memory42.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing the file structure of the memorycard 40. As the file structure, there are a still picture directory, amoving picture directory, a voice directory, a control directory, and amusic (HIFI) directory. According to the embodiment, music programs arerecorded and reproduced. Next, the music directory will be described.The music directory has two types of files. The first type is areproduction management file BLIST.MSF (hereinafter, referred to asPBLIST). The other type is an ATRAC3 data file A3Dnnnn.MSA that storesencrypted music data. The music directory can stores up to 400 ATRAC3data files (namely, 400 music programs). ATRAC3 data files areregistered to the reproduction management file and generated by therecorder/player.

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the reproductionmanagement file. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing the filestructure of one ATRAC3 data file. The reproduction management file is afixed-length file of 16 KB. An ATRAC3 data file is composed of anattribute header and an encrypted music data area for each musicprogram. The attribute data has a fixed length of 16 KB. The structureof the attribute header is similar to that of the reproductionmanagement file.

The reproduction management file shown in FIG. 8 is composed of aheader, a memory card name NM-1S (for one byte code), a memory card nameNM2-S (for two byte code), a program reproduction sequence table TRKTBL,and memory card additional information INF-S. The attribute header(shown in FIG. 9) at the beginning of the data file is composed of aheader, a program name NM1 (for one byte code), a program name NM2 (fortwo byte code), track information TRKINF (such as track keyinformation), part information PRTINF, and track additional informationINF. The header contains information of the number of total parts, theattribute of the name, the size of the additional information, and soforth.

The attribute data is followed by ATRAC3 music data. The music data isblock-segmented every 16 KB. Each block starts with a header. The headercontains an initial value for decrypting encrypted data. Only music dataof an ATRAC3 data file is encrypted. Thus, other data such as thereproduction management file, the header, and so forth are notencrypted.

Next, with reference to FIGS. 10A to 10C, the relation between musicprograms and ATRAC3 data files will be described. One track isequivalent to one music program. In addition, one music program iscomposed of one ATRAC3 data (see FIG. 9). The ATRAC3 data file is audiodata that has been compressed corresponding to the ATRAC3 format. TheATRAC3 data file is recorded as a cluster at a time to the memory card40. One cluster has a capacity of 16 KB. A plurality of files are notcontained in one cluster. The minimum data erase unit of the flashmemory 42 is one block. In the case of the memory card 40 for musicdata, a block is a synonym of a cluster. In addition, one cluster isequivalent to one sector.

One music program is basically composed of one part. However, when amusic program is edited, one music program may be composed of aplurality of parts. A part is a unit of data that is successivelyrecorded. Normally, one track is composed of one part. The connection ofparts of a music program is managed with part information PRTINF in theattribute header of each music program. In other words, the part size isrepresented with part size PRTSIZE (4 bytes) of the part informationPRTINF. The first two bytes of the part size PRTSIZE represents thenumber of total clusters of the current part. The next two bytesrepresent the positions of the start sound unit (SU) and the end soundunit (SU) of the beginning and last clusters, respectively. Hereinafter,a sound unit is abbreviated as SU. With such a part notation, when musicdata is edited, the movement of the music data can be suppressed. Whenmusic data is edited for each block, although the movement thereof canbe suppressed, the edit unit of a block is much larger than the editunit of a SU.

SU is the minimum unit of a part. In addition, SU is the minimum dataunit in the case that audio data is compressed corresponding to theATRAC3 format. 1 SU is audio data of which data of 1024 samples at 44.1kHz (1024×16 bits×2 channels) is compressed to data that is around 10times smaller than that of original data. The duration of 1 SU is around23 msec. Normally, one part is composed of several thousand SU. When onecluster is composed of 42 SU, one cluster allows a sound of one secondto be generated. The number of parts composing one track depends on thesize of the additional information. Since the number of parts isobtained by subtracting the header, the program name, the additionaldata, and so forth from one block, when there is no additionalinformation, the maximum number of parts (645 parts) can be used.

FIG. 10A is a schematic diagram showing the file structure in the casethat two music programs of a CD or the like are successively recorded.The first program (file 1) is composed of for example five clusters.Since one cluster cannot contain two files of the first program and thesecond program, the file 2 starts from the beginning of the nextcluster. Thus, the end of the part 1 corresponding to the file 1 is inthe middle of one cluster and the remaining area of the cluster containsno data. Likewise, the second music program (file 2) is composed of onepart. In the case of the file 1, the part size is 5. The first clusterstarts at 0-th SU. The last cluster ends at 4-th SU.

There are four types of edit processes that are a divide process, acombine process, an erase process, and a move process. The divideprocess is performed to divide one track into two portions. When thedivide process is performed, the number of total tracks increases byone. In the divide process, one file is divided into two files on thefile system. Thus, in this case, the reproduction management file andthe FAT are updated. The combine process is performed to combine twotracks into one track. When the combine process is performed, the numberof total tracks decreases by one. In the combine process, two files arecombined into one file on the file system. Thus, when the combineprocess is performed, the reproduction management file and the FAT areupdated. The erase process is performed to erase a track. The tracknumbers after the track that has been erased decrease one by one. Themove process is performed to change the track sequence. Thus, when theerase process or the move process is performed, the reproductionmanagement file and the FAT are updated.

FIG. 10B is a schematic diagram showing the combined result of twoprograms (file 1 and file 2) shown in FIG. 10A. As a result of thecombine process, the combined file is composed of two parts. FIG. 10C isa schematic diagram showing the divided result of which one program(file 1) is divided in the middle of the cluster 2. By the divideprocess, the file 1 is composed of clusters 0, 1, and the beginningportion of cluster 2. The file 2 is composed of the end portion ofcluster 2 and clusters 3 and 4.

As described above, according to the embodiment of the presentinvention, since the part notation is defined, as the combined result(see FIG. 10B), the start position of the part 1, the end position ofthe part 1, and the end portion of the part 2 can be defined with SU.Thus, to pack the space due to the combined result, it is not necessaryto move the music data of the part 2. In addition, as the divided result(see FIG. 10C), it is not necessary to move data and pack the space atthe beginning of the file 2.

FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing the detailed data structure ofthe reproduction management file PBLIST. FIGS. 12A and 12B show a headerportion and the remaining portion of the reproduction management filePBLIST. The size of the reproduction management file is one cluster (oneblock=16 KB). The size of the header shown in FIG. 12A is 32 bytes. Therest of the reproduction management file PBLIST shown in FIG. 12Bcontains a name NM1-S area (256 bytes) (for the memory card), a nameNM2-S area (512 bytes), a contents key area, a MAC area, an S-YMDhmsarea, a reproduction sequence management table TRKTBL area (800 bytes),a memory card additional information INF-S area (14720 bytes), and aheader information redundant area. The start positions of these areasare defined in the reproduction management file.

The first 32 bytes of (0x0000) to (0x0010) shown in FIG. 12A are usedfor the header. In the file, 16-byte areas are referred to as slots.Referring to FIG. 12A, the header are placed in the first and secondslots. The header contains the following areas. An area denoted by“Reserved” is an undefined area. Normally, in a reserved area, a null(0x00) is written. However, even if any data is written to a reservedarea, the data written in the reserved is ignored. In a future version,some reserved areas may be used. In addition, data is prohibited frombeing written to a reserved area. When an option area is not used, it istreated as a reserved area.

=BLKID-TL0 (4 bytes)

Meaning: BLOCKID FILE ID

Function: Identifies the top of the reproduction management file.

Value: Fixed value=“TL=0” (for example, 0x544C2D30)

=MCode (2 bytes)

Meaning: MAKER CODE

Function: Identifies the maker and model of the recorder/player

Value: High-order 10 bits (Maker code); low-order 6 bits (model code).

=REVISION (4 bytes)

Meaning: Number of rewrite times of PBLIST

Function: Increments whenever the reproduction management file isrewritten.

Value: Starts at 0 and increments by 1.

=S-YMDhms (4 bytes) (Option)

Meaning: Year, month, day, hour, minute, and second recorded by therecorder/player with a reliable clock.

Function: Identifies the last recorded date and time.

Value: bits 25 to 31: Year 0 to 99 (1980 to 2079)

-   -   bits 21 to 24: Month 0 to 12    -   bits 16 to 20: Day 0 to 31    -   bits 11 to 15: Hour 0 to 23    -   bits 05 to 10: Minute 0 to 59    -   bits 00 to 04: Second 0 to 29 (two bit interval)

=SY1C+L (2 bytes)

Meaning: Attribute of name (one byte code) of memory card written inNM1-S area.

Function: Represents the character code and the language code as onebyte code.

Value: Character code (C): High-order one byte

-   -   00: Non-character code, binary number    -   01: ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange)    -   02: ASCII+KANA    -   03: Modified 8859-1    -   81: MS-JIS    -   82: KS C 5601-1989    -   83: GB (Great Britain) 2312-80    -   90: S-JIS (Japanese Industrial Standards) (for Voice)

Language code (L): Low-order one byte

Identifies the language based on EBU Tech 3258 standard.

-   -   00: Not set    -   08: German    -   09: English    -   0A: Spanish    -   0F: French    -   15: Italian    -   1D: Dutch    -   65: Korean    -   69: Japanese    -   75: Chinese

When data is not recorded, this area is all 0.

=SN2C+L (2 bytes)

Meaning: Attribute of name of memory card in NM2-S area.

Function: Represents the character code and the language coded as onebyte code.

Value: Same as SN1C+L

=SINFSIZE (2 bytes)

Meaning: Total size of additional information of memory card in INF-Sarea.

Function: Represents the data size as an increment of 16 bytes. Whendata is not recorded, this area is all 0.

Value: Size: 0x0001 to 0x39C (924)

=T-TRK (2 bytes)

Meaning: TOTAL TRACK NUMBER

Function: Represents the number of total tracks.

Value: 1 to 0x0190 (Max. 400 tracks)

When data is recorded, this area is all 0.

=VerNo (2 bytes)

Meaning: Format version number

Function: Represents the major version number (high order one byte) andthe minor version number (low order one byte).

Value: 0x0100 (Ver 1.0) 0x0203 (Ver 2.3)

Next, areas (see FIG. 13B) that preceded by the header will bedescribed.

=NM1-S

Meaning: Name of memory card (as one byte code)

Function: Represents the name of the memory card as one byte code (max.256). At the end of this area, an end code (0x00) is written. The sizeis calculated from the end code. When data is not recorded, null (0x00)is recorded from the beginning (0x0020) of this area for at least onebyte.

Value: Various character code

=NM2-S

Meaning: Name of memory card (as two byte code)

Function: Represents the name of the memory card as two byte code (max.512). At the end of this area, an end code (0x00) is written. The sizeis calculated from the end code. When data is not recorded, null (0x00)is recorded from the beginning (0x0120) of this area for at least twobytes.

Value: Various character code

=CONTENTS KEY

Meaning: Value for music program. Protected with MG(M) and stored. Sameas CONTENTS KEY.

Function: Used as a key necessary for calculating MAC of S-YMDhms.

Value: 0 to 0xFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF

=MAC

Meaning: Forged copyright information check value

Function: Represents the value generated with S-YMDhms and CONTENTS KEY.

Value: 0 to 0xFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF

=TRK-nnn

Meaning: SQN (sequence) number of ATRAC3 data file reproduced.

Function: Represents FNo of TRKINF.

Value: 1 to 400 (0x190)

When there is no track, this area is all 0.

=INF-S

Meaning: Additional information of memory card (for example, informationwith respect to photos, songs, guides, etc.)

Function: Represents variable length additional information with aheader. A plurality of types of additional information may be used. Eachof the types of additional information has an ID and a data size. Eachadditional information area including a header is composed of at least16 bytes and a multiple of 4 bytes. For details, see the followingsection.

Value: Refer to the section of “Data Structure of AdditionalInformation”.

=S-YMDhms (4 bytes) (Option)

Meaning: Year, month, day, hour, minute, and second recorded by therecorder/player with a reliable clock.

Function: Identifies the last recorded date and time. In this case ofEMD, this area is mandatory.

Value: bits 25 to 31: Year 0 to 99 (1980 to 2079)

-   -   bits 21 to 24: Month 0 to 12    -   bits 16 to 24: Day 0 to 31    -   bits 11 to 15: Hour 0 to 23    -   bits 05 to 10: Minute 0 to 59    -   bits 00 to 04: Second 0 to 29 (two second interval)

As the last slot of the reproduction management file, the sameBLKID-TL0, MCode, and REVISION as those in the header are written.

While data is being recorded to a memory card, it may be mistakenly oraccidentally detached or the power of the recorder/player may be turnedoff. When such an improper operation is performed, a defect should bedetected. As described above, the REVISION area is placed at thebeginning and end of each block. Whenever data is rewritten, the valueof the REVISION area is incremented. If a defect termination takes placein the middle of a block, the value of the REVISION area at thebeginning of the block does not match the value of the REVISION area atthe end of the block. Thus, such a defect termination can be detected.Since there are two REVISION areas, the abnormal termination can bedetected with a high probability. When an abnormal termination isdetected, an alarm such as an error message is generated.

In addition, since the fixed value BLKID-TL0 is written at the beginningof one block (16 KB), when the FAT is destroyed, the fixed value is usedas a reference for recovering data. In other words, with reference tothe fixed value, the type of the file can be determined. Since the fixedvalue BLKID-TL0 is redundantly written at the header and the end portionof each block, the reliability can be secured. Alternatively, the samereproduction management file can be redundantly recorded.

The data amount of an ATRAC3 data file is much larger than that of thetrack information management file. In addition, as will be describedlater, a block number BLOCK SERIAL is added to ATRAC3 data file.However, since a plurality of ATRAC3 files are recorded to the memorycard, to prevent them from become redundant, both CONNUM0 and BLOCKSERIAL are used. Otherwise, when the FAT is destroyed, it will bedifficult to recover the file. In other words, one ATRAC3 data file maybe composed of a plurality of blocks that are dispersed. To identifyblocks of the same file, CONNUM0 is used. In addition, to identify theorder of blocks in the ATRAC3 data file, BLOCK SERIAL is used.

Likewise, the maker code (Mcode) is redundantly recorded at thebeginning and the end of each block so as to identify the maker and themodel in such a case that a file has been improperly recorded in thestate that the FAT has not been destroyed.

FIG. 12C is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the additionalinformation data. The additional information is composed of thefollowing header and variable length data. The header has the followingareas.

=INF

-   -   Meaning: FIELD ID    -   Function: Represents the beginning of the additional information        (fixed value).    -   Value: 0x69

=ID

-   -   Meaning: Additional information key code    -   Function: Represents the category of the additional information.    -   Value: 0 to 0xFF

=SIZE

-   -   Meaning: Size of individual additional information    -   Function: Represents the size of each type of additional        information. Although the data size is not limited, it should be        at least 16 bytes and a multiple of 4 bytes. The rest of the        data should be filled with null (0x00).    -   Value: 16 to 14784 (0x39C0)

=MCode

-   -   Meaning: MAKER CODE    -   Function: Identifies the maker and model of the recorder/player.    -   Value: High-order 10 bits (maker code), low-order 10 bits        (machine code).

=C+L

-   -   Meaning: Attribute of characters in data area starting from byte        12.    -   Function: Represents the character code and the language code as        one byte code.    -   Value: Same as SNC+L

=DATA

-   -   Meaning: Individual additional information    -   Function: Represents each type of additional information with        variable length data. Real data always starts from byte 12. The        length (size) of the real data should be at least 4 bytes and a        multiple of 4 bytes. The rest of the data area should be filled        with null (0x00).    -   Value: Individually defined corresponding to the contents of        each type of additional information.

FIG. 13 is a table that correlates key code values (0 to 63 ofadditional information and types thereof. Key code values (0 to 31) areassigned to music character information. Key code values (32 to 63) areassigned to URLs (Uniform Resource Locator) (web information). The musiccharacter information and URL information contain character informationof the album title, the artist name, the CM, and so forth as additionalinformation.

FIG. 14 is a table that correlates key code values (64 to 127) ofadditional information and types thereof. Key code values (64 to 95) areassigned to paths/others. Key code values (96 to 127) are assigned tocontrol/numeric data. For example, ID=98 represents TOC-ID as additionalinformation. TOC-ID represents the first music program number, the lastmusic program number, the current program number, the total performanceduration, and the current music program duration corresponding to theTOC information of a CD (Compact Disc).

FIG. 15 is a table that correlates key code values (128 to 159) ofadditional information and types thereof. Key code values (128 to 159)are assigned to synchronous reproduction information. In FIG. 15, EMDstands for electronic music distribution.

Next, with reference to FIGS. 16A to 16E, real examples of additionalinformation will be described. As with FIG. 12C, FIG. 16A shows the datastructure of the additional information. In FIG. 16B, key code ID=3(artist name as additional information). SIZE=0x1C (28 bytes)representing that the data length of additional information includingthe header is 28 bytes; C+L representing that character code C=0x01(ASCII) and language code L=0x09 (English). Variable length data afterbyte 12 represents one byte data “SIMON & GRAFUNKEL” as artist name.Since the data length of the additional information should be a multipleof 4 bytes, the rest is filled with (0x00).

In FIG. 16C, key code ID=97. representing that ISRC (InternationalStandard Recording Code: Copyright code) as additional information.SIZE=0x14 (20 bytes) representing that the data length of the additionalinformation is 20 bytes. C=0x00 and L=0x00 representing that charactersand language have not been set. Thus, the data is binary code. Thevariable length data is eight-byte ISRC code representing copyrightinformation (nation, copyright owner, recorded year, and serial number).

In FIG. 16D, key code ID=is 97 representing recorded date and time asadditional information. SIZE=0 x 10 (16 bytes) representing that thedata length of the additional information is 16 bytes. C=0x00 andL=representing that characters and language have not been set. Thevariable length data is four-byte code (32 bit) representing therecorded date and time (year, month, day, hour, minute, second).

In FIG. 16E, key code ID=107 representing a reproduction log asadditional information. SIZE=0x10 (16 bytes) representing that the datalength of the additional information is 16 bytes. C=0x00 and L =0x00representing that characters and language have not been set. Thevariable length data is a four-byte code representing a reproduction log(year, month, day, hour, minute, second). When the recorder/player has areproduction log function, it records data of 16 bytes whenever itreproduces music data.

FIG. 17 is a schematic diagram showing a data arrangement of ATRAC3 datafile A3Dnnnn in the case that 1 SU is N bytes (for example, N=384bytes). FIG. 17 shows an attribute header (1 block) of a data file and amusic data file (1 block). FIG. 17 shows the first byte (0x0000 to0x7FF0) of each slot of the two blocks (16×2=32 kbytes). As shown inFIG. 18, the first 32 bytes of the attribute header are used as aheader; 256 bytes are used as a music program area NM1 (256 bytes); and512 bytes are used as a music program title area NM2 (512 bytes). Theheader of the attribute header contains the following areas.

=BLKID-HD0 (4 bytes)

-   -   Meaning: BLOCKID FIELD ID    -   Function: Identifies the top of an ATRA3 data file.    -   Value: Fixed value=“HD=0” (For example, 0x48442D30)

=MCode (2 bytes)

-   -   Meaning: MAKER CODE    -   Function: Identifies the maker and model of the recorder/player    -   Value: High-order 10 bits (maker code); low-order 6 bits        (machine code)

=BLOCK SERIAL (4 bytes)

-   -   Meaning: Track serial number    -   Function: Starets from 0 and increments by 1. Even if a music        program is edited, this value does not vary.    -   Value: 0 to 0xFFFFFFFF.

=N1C+L (2 bytes)

-   -   Meaning: Represents the attribute of data (NM1) of a track        (music program title).    -   Function: Represent the character code and language code of NM1        as one byte code.    -   Value: Same as SN1C+L

=N2C+L (2 bytes)

-   -   Meaning: Represents the attribute of data (NM2) of a track        (music program title).    -   Function: Represent the character code and language code of NM1        as one byte code.    -   Value: Same as SN1C+L

=INFSIZE (2 bytes)

-   -   Meaning: Total size of additional information of current track.    -   Function: Represents the data size as a multiple of 16 bytes.        When data is not recorded, this area should be all 0.    -   Value: 0x0000 to 0x3C6 (966)

=T-PRT (2 bytes)

-   -   Meaning: Number of total bytes    -   Function: Represents the number of parts that composes the        current track. Normally, the value of T-PRT is 1.    -   Value: 1 to 285 (645 dec).

=T-SU (4 bytes)

-   -   Meaning: Number of total SU.    -   Function: Represents the total number of SU in one track that is        equivalent to the program performance duration.    -   Value: 0x01 to 0x001FFFFF

=INX (2 bytes) (Option)

-   -   Meaning: Relative position of INDEX    -   Function: Used as a pointer that represents the top of a        representative portion of a music program. The value of INX is        designated with a value of which the number of SU is divided by        4 as the current position of the program. This value of INX is        equivalent to 4 times larger than the number of SU (around 93        msec).    -   Value: 0 to 0xFFFF (max, around 6084 sec)

=XT (2 bytes) (Option)

-   -   Meaning: Reproduction duration of INDEX    -   Function: Designates the reproduction duration designated by        INX-nnn with a value of which the number of SU is divided by 4.        The value of INDEX is equivalent to four times larger than the        normal SU (around 93 msec).    -   Value: 0x0000 (no setting); 0x01 to 0xFFFE (up to 6084 sec);        0xFFFF (up to end of music program)

Next, the music program title areas NM1 and NM2 will be described.

=NM1

-   -   Means: Character string of music program title    -   Function: Represents a music program title as one byte code (up        to 256 characters) (variable length). The title area should be        completed with an end code (0x00). The size should be calculated        from the end code. When data is not recorded, null (0x00) should        be recorded from the beginning (0x0020) of the area for at least        one byte.    -   Value: Various character codes

=NM2

-   -   Means: Character string of music program title    -   Function: Represents a music program title as two byte code (up        to 512 characters) (variable length). The title area should be        completed with an end code (0x00). The size should be calculated        from the end code. When data is not recorded, null (0x100)        should be recorded from the beginning (0x0120) of the area for        at least two bytes.    -   Value: Various character codes    -   Data of 80 bytes starting from the fixed position (0x320) of the        attribute header is referred to as track information area        TRKINF. This area is mainly used to totally manage the security        information and copy control information. FIG. 19 shows a part        of TRKINF. The area TRKINF contains the following areas.

=CONTENTS KEY (8 bytes)

-   -   Meaning: Value for each music program. The value of CONTENTS KEY        is protected in the security block of the memory card and then        stored.    -   Function: Used as a key for reproducing a music program. It is        used to calculate the value of MAC.    -   Value: 0 to 0xFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF

=MAC (8 bytes)

-   -   Meaning: Forged copyright information check value Function:        Represents the value generated with a plurality of values of        TRKINF including contents cumulation numbers and a secret        sequence number.

The secret sequence number is a sequence number recorded in the secretarea of the memory card. A non-copyright protection type recorder cannotread data from the secret area of the memory card. On the other hand, acopyright protection type recorder and a computer that operates with aprogram that can read data from a memory card can access the secretarea.

=A (1 byte)

-   -   Meaning: Attribute of part.    -   Function: Represents the information of such as compression mode        of a part.    -   Value: The details will be described in the following (see FIGS.        19 and 20).

Next, the value of the area A will be described. In the followingdescription, monaural mode (N=0 or 1) is defined as a special joint modeof which bit 7=1, sub signal=0, main signal=(L+R). A non-copyrightprotection type player may ignore information of bits 2 and 1.

Bit 0 of the area A represents information of emphasis on/off state. Bit1 of the area A represents information of reproduction skip or normalreproduction. Bit 2 of the area A represents information of data typesuch as audio data, FAX data, or the like. Bit 3 of the area A isundefined. By a combination of bits 4, 5, and 6, mode information ofATRAC3 is defined as shown in FIG. 20. In other words, N is a mode valueof 3 bits. For five types of modes that are monaural (N=0 or 1), LP(N=2), SP (N=4), EX (N=5), and HQ (N=7), record duration (64 MB memorycard only), data transmission rate, and the number of SU per block arelisted. The number of bytes of 1 SU depends on each mode. The number ofbytes of 1 SU in the monaural mode is 136 bytes. The number of bytes of1 SU in the LP mode is 192 bytes. The number of bytes of 1 SU in the SPmode is 304 bytes. The number of bytes of 1 SU in the EX mode is 384bytes. The number of bytes of 1 SU in the HQ mode is 512 bytes. Bit 7 ofthe area A represents ATRAC3 modes (0: Dual, 1: JOint).

For example, an example of which a 64 MB memory card is used in the SPmode will be described. A 64-MB memory card has 3968 blocks. In the SPmode, since 1 SU is 304 bytes, one block has 53 SU. 1 SU is equivalentto (1024/44100) seconds. Thus, one block is(1024/44100)×53×(3968−10)=4863 seconds=81 minutes. The transmission rateis (44100/1024)×304×8=104737 bps.

=LT (one byte)

-   -   Meaning: Reproduction restriction flag (bits 7 and 6) and        security partition (bits 5 to 0).    -   Function: Represents a restriction of the current track.    -   Value: bit 7: 0=no restriction, 1=restriction        -   bit 6: 0=not expired, 1=expired        -   bits 5 to 0: security partition (reproduction prohibited            other than 0)

=FNo (2 bytes)

-   -   Meaning: File number.    -   Function: Represents the initially recorded track number that        designates the position of the MAC calculation value recorded in        the secret area of the memory card.    -   Value: 1 to 0x190 (400)

=MG(D) SERIAL-nnn (16 bytes)

-   -   Meaning: Represents the serial number of the security block        (security IC 20) of the recorder/player.    -   Function: Unique value for each recorder/player    -   Value: 0 to 0xFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF

=CONNUM (4 bytes)

-   -   Meaning: Contents cumulation number    -   Function: Represents a unique value cumulated for each music        program. The value is managed by the security block of the        recorder/player. The upper limit of the value is 2³² that is        4,200,000,000. Used to identify a recorded program.    -   Value: 0 to 0xFFFFFFFF

YMDhms-S (4 bytes) (Option)

-   -   Meaning: Reproduction start date and time of track with        reproduction restriction    -   Function: Represents the date and time at which data        reproduction is permitted with EMD.    -   Value: Same as the notation of date and time of other areas

=YMDhms-E (4 bytes) (Option)

-   -   Meaning: Reproduction end date and time of track with        reproduction restriction    -   Function: Represents the date and time at which data        reproduction is expired with EMD.    -   Value: Same as the notation of date and time of other areas

=MT (1 byte) (Option)

-   -   Meaning: Maximum value of number of permitted reproduction times    -   Function: Represents the maximum number of reproduction times        designated by EMD.    -   Value: 1 to 0xFF. When not used, the value of the area MT is 00.

=CT (1 byte) (Option)

-   -   Meaning: Number of reproduction times    -   Function: Represents the number of reproduction times in the        number of permitted reproduction times. Whenever data is        reproduced, the value of the area CT is decremented.    -   Value: 0x00 to 0xFF. When not used, the value of the area CT is        0x00. When bit 7 of the area LT is 1 and the value of the area        CT is 00, data is prohibited from being reproduced.

=CC (1 byte)

-   -   Meaning: COPY CONTROL    -   Function: Controls the copy operation.    -   Value: bits 6 and 7 represent copy control information. bits 4        and 5 represent copy control information of a high speed digital        copy operation. bits 2 and 3 represent a security block        authentication level. bits 0 and 1 are undefined.    -   Example of CC:        -   (bits 7 and 6)        -   11: Unlimited copy operation permitted        -   01: copy prohibited        -   00: one time copy operation permitted        -   (bits 3 and 2)        -   00: analog/digital input recording        -   MG authentication level is 0.

When digital record operation using data from a CD is performed, (bits 7and 6): 00 and (bits 3 and 2): 00.

=CN (1 byte) (Option)

-   -   Meaning: Number of permitted copy times in high speed serial        copy management system    -   Function: Extends the copy permission with the number of copy        times, not limited to one time copy permission and copy free        permission. Valid only in first copy generation. The value of        the area CN is decremented whenever the copy operation is        performed.    -   Value″        -   00: Copy prohibited        -   01 to OxFE: Number of times        -   0xFF: Unlimited copy times

The track information area TRKINF is followed by a 24-byte partmanagement information area (PRTINF) starting from 0x0370. When onetrack is composed of a plurality of parts, the values of areas PRTINF ofthe individual parts are successively arranged on the time axis. FIG. 22shows a part of the area PRTINF. Next, areas in the area PRTINF will bedescribed in the order of the arrangement.

=PRTSIZE (4 bytes)

-   -   Meaning: Part size    -   Function: Represents the size of a part.    -   Cluster: 2 bytes (highest position), start SU: 1 byte (upper),        end SU: 1 byte (lowest position).    -   Value: cluster: 1 to 0x1F40 (8000)        -   start SU: 0 to 0xA0 (160)        -   end SU: 0 to 0xA0 (16) (Note that SU starts from 0.)

=PRTKEY (8 bytes)

-   -   Meaning: Part encrypting value    -   Function: Encrypts a part. Initial value=0. Note that edit rules        should be applied.    -   Value: 0 to 0xFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF

=CONNUM0 (4 bytes)

-   -   Meaning: Initially generated contents cumulation number key    -   Function: Uniquely designates an ID of contents.    -   Value: Same value as the value of the contents cumulation number        initial value key

As shown in FIG. 17, the attribute header of an ATRAC3 data filecontains additional information INF. The additional information is thesame as the additional information INF-S (see FIGS. 11 and 12B) of thereproduction management file except that the start position is notfixed. The last byte position (a multiple of four bytes) at the end ofone or a plurality of parts is followed by data of the additionalinformation INF.

=INF

-   -   Meaning: Additional information with respect to track    -   Function: Represents variable length additional information with        a header. A plurality of different types of additional        information may be arranged. Each of additional information        areas has an ID and a data size. Each additional information        area is composed of at least 16 bytes and a multiple of 4 bytes.    -   Value: Same as additional information INF-S of reproduction        management file

The above-described attribute header is followed by data of each blockof an ATRAC3 data file. As shown in FIG. 23, a header is added for eachblock. Next, data of each block will be described.

=BLKIDA-3D (4 bytes)

-   -   Meaning: BLOCKID FILE ID    -   Function: Identifies the top of ATRAC3 data.    -   Value: Fixed value=“A3D” (for example, 0x41334420)

=MCode (2 bytes)

-   -   Meaning: MAKER CODE    -   Function: Identifies the maker and model of the recorder/player    -   Value: High-order 10 bits (maker code); low-order 6 bits (model        code)

=CONNUMO (4 bytes)

-   -   Meaning: Cumulated number of initially created contents    -   Function: Designates a unique ID for contents. Even if the        contents are edited, the value of the area CONNUMO is not        changed.    -   Value: Same as the contents cumulation number initial key

=BLOCK SERIAL (4 bytes)

-   -   Meaning: Serial number assigned to each track    -   Function: Starts from 0 and increments by 1. Even if the        contents are edited, the value of the area BLOCK SERIAL is not        changed.    -   Value: 0 to 0xFFFFFFFF

=BLOCK-SEED (8 bytes)

-   -   Meaning: Key for encrypting one block    -   Function: The beginning of the block is a random number        generated by the security block of the recorder/player. The        random number is followed by a value incremented by 1. When the        value of the area BLOCK-SEED is lost, since sound is not        generated for around one second equivalent to one block, the        same data is written to the header and the end of the block.        Even if the contents are edited, the value of the area        BLOCK-SEED is not changed.    -   Value: Initially 8-bit random number

=INITIALIZATION VECTOR (8 bytes)

-   -   Meaning: Value necessary for encrypting/decrypting ATRAC3 data    -   Function: Represents an initial value necessary for encrypting        and decrypting ATRAC3 data for each block. A block starts        from 0. The next block starts from the last encrypted 8-bit        value at the last SU. When a block is divided, the last eight        bytes just before the start SU is used. Even if the contents are        edited, the value of the area INITIALIZATION VECTOR is not        changed.    -   Value: 0 to 0xFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF

=SU-nnn

-   -   Meaning: Data of sound unit    -   Function: Represents data compressed from 1024 samples. The        number of bytes of output data depends on the compression mode.        Even if the contents are edited, the value of the area SU-nnn is        not changed. For example, in the SP mode, N=384 bytes.    -   Value: Data value of ATRAC3

In FIG. 17, since N=384, 42 SU are written to one block. The first twoslots (4 bytes) of one block are used as a header. In the last slot (twobytes), the areas BLKIDA-3D, MCode, CONNUM0, and BLOCK SERIAL areredundantly written. Thus, M bytes of the remaining area of one block is(16,384−384×42−16×3=208) bytes. As described above, the eight-byte areaBLOCK SEED is redundantly recorded.

When the FAT area is destroyed, all blocks of the flash memory aresearched. It is determined whether the value of the area ID BLKID at thebeginning of each block is TL0, HD0, or A3D. As shown in FIGS. 24A to24C, at step SP1, it is determined whether or not the value of the areaID BLKID at the beginning of the top block is BLKID-TL0. When thedetermined result at step SP1 is No, the flow advances to step SP2. Atstep SP2, the block number is incremented. Thereafter, at step SP3, itis determined whether or not the last block has been searched.

When the determined result at step SP3 is No, the flow returns to stepSP1.

When the determined result at step SP1 is Yes, the flow advances to stepSP4. At step SP4, it is determined that the searched block is thereproduction management file PBLIST. Thereafter, the flow advances tostep SP5. At step SP5, the number of total tracks T-TRK in thereproduction management file PBLIST is stored as N to the register. Forexample, when the memory has stored 10 ATRAC3 data files (10 musicprograms), 10 has been stored in T-TRK.

Next, with reference to the value of the number of total tracks T-TRK,TRK-001 to TRK-400 of blocks are successively referenced. In thisexample, since 10 music programs have been recorded, TRK-001 to TRK-010of blocks are referenced. Since a file number FNO has been recorded inTRK-XXX (where X=1 to 400) at step SP7, a table that correlates thetrack number TRK-XXX and the file number FNO is stored to the memory.Next, at step SP8, N stored in the register is decremented. A loop ofsteps SP6, SP7, and SP8 is repeated until N becomes 0 at step SP9.

When the determined result at step SP9 is Yes, the flow advances to stepSP10. At step SP10, the pointer is reset to the top block. The searchingprocess is repeated from the top block. Thereafter, the flow advances tostep SP11. At step SP11, it is determined whether or not the value ofthe area ID BLKID of the top block is BLKID-HD0. When the determinedresult at step SP11 is No, the flow advances to step SP12. At step SP12,the block number is incremented. At step SP13, it is determined whetheror not the last block has been searched.

When the determined result at step SP13 is No, the flow returns to stepSP11. The searching process is repeated until the determined result atstep SP11 becomes Yes.

When the determined result at step SP11 is Yes, the flow advances tostep SP14. At step SP14, it is determined that the block is theattribute header (see FIG. 8) (0x0000 to 0x03FFF shown in FIG. 18) atthe beginning of the ATRAC3 data file.

Next, at step SP15, with reference to the file number FNO, the sequencenumber BLOCK SERIAL of the same ATRAC data file, and the contentscumulation number key CONNUM0 contained in the attribute header, theyare stored to the memory. When 10 ATRAC3 data files have been recorded,since there are 10 blocks of which the value of the area ID BLKID of thetop block is BLKID-TL0, the searching process is continued until 10blocks are searched.

When the determined result at step SP13 is Yes, the flow advances tostep SP16. At step SPI6, the pointer is reset to the top block. Thesearching process is repeated from the top block.

Thereafter, the flow advances to step SP17. At step SP17, it isdetermined whether or not the value of the area ID BLKID of the topblock is BLKIDA-3D.

When the determined result at step SP17 is No, the flow advances to stepSP18. At step SP18, the block number is incremented. Thereafter, at stepSP18′, it is determined whether or not the last block has been searched.When the determined result at step SP18′ is No, the flow returns to stepSP17.

When the determined result at step SP17 is Yes, the flow advances tostep SP19. At step SP19, it is determined that the block contains ATRAC3data. Thereafter, the flow advances to step SP20. At step SP20, withreference to the serial number BLOCK SERIAL recorded in the ATRAC3 datablock and the contents cumulation number key CONNUM0, they are stored tothe memory.

In the same ATRAC3 data file, the common number is assigned as thecontents cumulation number key CONNUM0. In other words, when one ATRAC3data file is composed of 10 blocks, a common number is assigned to allthe values of the areas CONNUM0.

In addition, when one ATRAC3 data is composed of 10 blocks, serialnumbers 1 to 0 are assigned to the values of the areas BLOCK SERIALs ofthe 10 blocks.

Corresponding to the values of the areas CONNUM0 and BLOCK SERIAL, it isdetermined whether the current block composes the same contents and thereproduction order of the current block in the same contents (namely,the connection sequence).

When 10 ATRAC3 data files (namely, 10 music programs) have been recordedand each of the ATRAC3 data files is composed of 10 blocks, there are100 data blocks.

With reference to the values of the areas CONNUM0 and BLOCK SERIAL, thereproduction order of music programs of 100 data blocks and theconnection order thereof can be obtained.

When the determined result at step SP19 is Yes, all the blocks have beensearched for the reproduction management file, the ATRAC3 data file, andthe attribute file. Thus, at step SP21, based on the values of the areasCONNUM0, BLOCK SERIAL, FNO, and TRK-X in the order of block numbers ofthe blocks stored in the memory, the file connection state is obtained.

After the connection state is obtained, the FAT may be generated in afree area of the memory.

Next, a management file according to a second embodiment of the presentinvention will be described. FIG. 25 shows the file structure accordingto the second embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 25,a music directory contains a track information management fileTRKLIST.MSF (hereinafter, referred to as TRKLIST), a backup trackinformation management file TRKLISTB.MSF (hereinafter, referred to asTRKLISTB), an additional information file INFLIST.MSF (that contains anartist name, an ISRC code, a time stamp, a still picture data, and soforth (this file is referred to as INFIST)), an ATRAC3 data fileA3Dnnnn.MSF (hereinafter, referred to as A3nnnn). The file TRKLISTcontains two areas NAME1 and NAME2. The area NAME1 is an area thatcontains the memory card name and the program name (for one byte codecorresponding to ASCII/8859-1 character code). The area NAME2 is an areathat contains the memory card name and the program name (for two bytecode corresponding to MS-JIS/Hankul/Chinese code).

FIG. 26 shows the relation between the track information management fileTRKLIST, the areas NAME1 and NAME2, and the ATRAC3 data file A3Dnnnn.The file TRKLIST is a fixed-length file of 64 kbytes (=16 k×4). An areaof 32 kbytes of the file is used for managing tracks. The remaining areaof 32 kbytes is used to contain the areas NAME1 and NAME2. Although theareas NAME1 and NAME2 for program names may be provided as a differentfile as the track information management file, in a system having asmall storage capacity, it is convenient to totally manage the trackinformation management file and program name files.

The track information area TRKINF-nnnn and part information areaPRTINF-nnnn of the track information management file TRKLIST are used tomanage the data file A3Dnnnn and the additional information INFLIST.Only the ATRAC3 data file A3Dnnnn is encrypted. In FIG. 26, the datalength in the horizontal direction is 16 bytes (0 to F). A hexadecimalnumber in the vertical direction represents the value at the beginningof the current line.

According to the second embodiment, three files that are the trackmanagement file TRKLIST (including a program title file), the additionalinformation management file INFLIST, and the data file A3Dnnnn are used.According to the first embodiment (see FIGS. 7, 8, and 9), two filesthat are the reproduction management file PBLIST for managing all thememory card and the data file ATRAC3 for storing programs are used.

Next, the data structure according to the second embodiment will bedescribed. For simplicity, in the data structure according to the secondembodiment, the description of similar portions to those of the firstembodiment is omitted.

FIG. 27 shows the detailed structure of the track information managementfile TRKLIST. In the track information management file TRKLIST, onecluster (block) is composed of 16 kbytes. The size and data of the fileTRKLISTB are the same as those of the backup file TRKLISTB. The first 32bytes of the track information management file are used as a header. Aswith the header of the reproduction management file PBLIST, the headerof the file TRKLIST contains a BLKID-TL0/TL1 (backup file ID) area (4bytes), an area T-TRK (2 bytes) for the number of total tracks, a makercode area MCode (2 bytes), an area REVISION (4 bytes) for the number ofTRKLIST rewrite times, and an area S-YMDhms (4 bytes) (option) forupdate date and time data. The meanings and functions of these dataareas are the same as those of the first embodiment. In addition, thefile TRKLIST contains the following areas.

=YMDhms (4 bytes)

-   -   Represents the last update date (year, month, day) of the file        TRKLIST.

=Nb1 (1 byte) (Option)

-   -   Represents the sequential number of the memory card (numerator        side). When one memory card is used, the value of the area Nb1        is 0x01.

=Nb2 (1 byte) (Option)

-   -   Represents the sequential number of the memory card (denominator        side). When one memory card is used, the value of the area Nb2        is 0x01.

=MSID (2 bytes) (Option)

-   -   Represents the ID of a memory card. When a plurality of memory        cards is used, the value of the area MSID of each memory card is        the same (T.B.D.). (T.B.D. (to be defined) represents that this        value may be defined in future).

=S-TRK (2 bytes).

-   -   Represents a special track (T.B.D.).

Normally, the value of the area S-TRK is 0x0000.

=PASS (2 bytes) (Option)

-   -   Represents a password (T.B.D.).

=APP (2 bytes) (Option)

-   -   Represents the definition of a reproduction application (T.B.D.)        (normally, the value of the area APP is 0x0000).

=INF-S (2 bytes) (Option)

-   -   Represents the additional information pointer of the entire        memory card. When there is no additional information, the value        of the area INF-S is 0x00.

The last 16 bytes of the file TRKLIST are used for an area BLKID-TL0, anarea MCode, and an area REVISION that are the same as those of theheader. The backup file TRKLISTB contains the above-described header. Inthis case, the header contains an area BLKID-TL1, an area MCode, and anarea REVISION.

The header is followed by a track information area TRKINF forinformation with respect to each track and a part information areaPRTINF for information with respect to each part of tracks (musicprograms). FIG. 27 shows the areas preceded by the area TRKLIST. Thelower portion of the area TRKLISTB shows the detailed structure of theseareas. In FIG. 27, a hatched area represents an unused area.

The track information area TRKINF-nnn and the part information areaPRTINF-nnn contain areas of an ATRAC3 data file. In other words, thetrack information area TRKINF-nnn and the part information areaPRTINF-nnn each contain a reproduction restriction flag area LT (1byte), a contents key area CONTENTS KEY (8 bytes), a recorder/playersecurity block serial number area MG(D) SERIAL (16 bytes), an area XT (2bytes) (option) for representing a feature portion of a music program,an area INX (2 bytes) (option), an area YMDhms-S (4 bytes) (option), anarea YMDhms-E (4 bytes) (option), an area MT (1 byte) (option), an areaCT (1 byte) (option), an area CC (1 byte) (option), an area CN (1 byte)(option) (these areas YMDhms-S, YMDhms-E, MT, CT, CC, and CN are usedfor reproduction restriction information and copy control information),an area A (1 byte) for part attribute, a part size area PRTSIZE (4bytes), a part key area PRTKEY (8 bytes), and a contents cumulationnumber area CONNUM (4 bytes). The meanings, functions, and values ofthese areas are the same as those of the first embodiment. In addition,the track information area TRKINF-nnn and the part information areaPRTINF-nnn each contain the following areas.

=T0 (1 byte)

-   -   Fixed value (T0=0x74)

=INF-nnn (Option) (2 bytes)

Represents the additional information pointer (0 to 409) of each track.00: music program without additional information.

=FNM-nnn (4 bytes)

-   -   Represents the file number (0x0000 to 0xFFFF) of an ATRK3 data        file.

The number nnnn (in ASCII) of the ATRAC3 data file name (A3Dnnnn) isconverted into 0xnnnnn.

=APP_CTL (4 bytes) (Option)

-   -   Represents an application parameter (T.B.D.) (Normally, the        value of the area APP_CTL is 0x0000).

=P-nnn (2 bytes)

-   -   Represents the number of parts (1 to 2039) that compose a music        program. This area corresponds to the above-described area        T-PART.

=PR (1 byte)

-   -   Fixed value (PR=0 x 50).

Next, the areas NAME1 (for one byte code) and NAME2 (for two byte code)for managing names will be described. FIG. 28 shows the detailedstructure of the area NAME1 (for one byte code area). Each of the areasNAME1 and NAME2 (that will be described later) is segmented with eightbytes. Thus, their one slot is composed of eight bytes. At 0x8000 thatis the beginning of each of these areas, a header is placed. The headeris followed by a pointer and a name. The last slot of the area NAME1contains the same areas as the header.

=BLKID-NM1 (4 bytes)

-   -   Represents the contents of a block (fixed value)        (NM1=0x4E4D2D31).

=PNM1-nnn (4 bytes) (Option)

-   -   Represents the pointer to the area NM1 (for one byte code).

=PNM1-S

-   -   Represents the pointer to a name representing a memory card.    -   nnn (=1 to 408) represents the pointer to a music program title.

The pointer represents the start position (2 bytes) of the block, thecharacter code type (2 bits), and the data size (14 bits).

=NM1-nnn (Option)

-   -   Represents the memory card name and music program title for one        byte code (variable length). An end code (0x00) is written at        the end of the area.

FIG. 29 shows the detailed data structure of the area NAME2 (for twobyte code). At 0x8000 that is the beginning of the area, a header isplaced. The header is followed by a pointer and a name. The last slot ofthe area NAME2 contains the same areas as the header.

=BLKID-NM2 (4 bytes)

-   -   Represents the contents of a block (fixed value)        (NM2=0x4E4D2D32).

=PNM2-nnn (4 bytes) (Option)

-   -   Represents the pointer to the area NM2 (for two byte code).

PNM2-S represents the pointer to the name representing the memory card.nnn (=1 to 408) represents the pointer to a music program title.

The pointer represents the start position (2 bytes) of the block, thecharacter code type (2 bits), and the data size (14 bits).

=NM2-nnn (Option)

-   -   Represents the memory card name and music program title for two        byte code (variable). An end code (0x0000) is written at the end        of the area.

FIG. 30 shows the data arrangement (for one block) of the ATRAC3 datafile A3Dnnnn in the case that 1 SU is composed of N bytes. In this file,one slot is composed of eight bytes. FIG. 30 shows the values of the topportion (0x0000 to 0x3FF8) of each slot. The first four slots of thefile are used for a header. As with the data block preceded by theattribute header of the data file (see FIG. 17) of the first example, aheader is placed. The header contains an area BLKID-A 3D (4 bytes), amaker code area MCode (2 bytes), an area BLOCK SEED (8 bytes) necessaryfor encrypting process, an area CONNUM0 (4 bytes) for the initialcontents cumulation number, a serial number area BLOCK SERIAL (4 bytes)for each track, and an area INITIALIZATION VECTOR (8 bytes) necessaryfor encrypting/decrypting process. The second last slot of the blockredundantly contains an area BLOCK SEED. The last slot contains areasBLKID-A3D and MCode. As with the first embodiment, the header isfollowed by the sound unit data SU-nnnn.

FIG. 31 shows the detailed data structure of the additional informationmanagement file INFLIST that contains additional information. In thesecond embodiment, at the beginning (0x0000) of the file INFLIST, thefollowing header is placed. The header is followed by the followingpointer and areas.

=BLKID-INF (4 bytes)

-   -   Represents the contents of the block (fixed value)        (INF=0x494E464F).

=T-DAT (2 blocks)

-   -   Represents the number of total data areas (0 to 409).

=MCode (2 bytes)

-   -   Represents the maker code of the recorder/player

=YMDhms (4 bytes)

-   -   Represents the record updated date and time.

=INF-nnnn (4 bytes)

-   -   Represents the pointer to the area DATA of the additional        information (variable length, as 2 bytes (slot) at a time). The        start position is represented with the high order 16 bits (0000        to FFFF).

=DataSlot-0000 (0x0800)

-   -   Represents the offset value from the beginning (as a slot at a        time).

The data size is represented with low order 16 bits (0001 to 7FFF). Adisable flag is set at the most significant bit. MSB=0 (Enable), MSB=1(Disable)

The data size represents the total data amount of the music program.

(The data starts from the beginning of each slot. (The non-data area ofthe slot is filled with 00.)

The first INF represents a pointer to additional information of theentire album (normally, INF-409).

FIG. 32 shows the structure of additional information. An 8-byte headeris placed at the beginning of one additional information data area. Thestructure of the additional information is the same as that of the firstembodiment (see FIG. 12C). In other words, the additional informationcontains an area IN (2 bytes) as an ID, an area key code ID (1 byte), anarea SIZE (2 bytes) that represents the size of each additionalinformation area, and a maker code area MCode (2 bytes). In addition,the additional information contains an area SID (1 byte) as a sub ID.

According to the second embodiment of the present invention, in additionto the file system defined as a format of the memory card, the trackinformation management file TRKLIST music data is used. Thus, even ifthe FAT is destroyed, the file can be recovered. FIG. 33 shows a flow ofa file recovering process. To recover the file, a computer that operateswith a file recovery program and that can access the memory card and astoring device (hard disk, RAM, or the like) connected to the computerare used. The computer has a function equivalent to the DSP30. Next, afile recovering process using the track management file TRKLIST will bedescribed.

All blocks of the flash memory whose FAT has been destroyed are searchedfor TL-0 as the value (BLKID) at the top position of each block. Inaddition, all the blocks are searched for NM-1 as the value (BLKID) atthe top position of each block. Thereafter, all the blocks are searchedfor NM-2 as the value (BLKID) at the top position of each block. All thecontents of the four blocks (track information management file) arestored to for example a hard disk by the recovery computer.

The number of total tracks is obtained from data after the fourth byteof the track information management file. The 20-th byte of the trackinformation area TRKINF-001, the value of the area CONNUM-001 of thefirst music program, and the value of the next area P-001 are obtained.The number of parts is obtained with the value of the area P-001. Thevalues of the areas PRTSIZE of all parts of the track 1 of the areaPRTINF is obtained. The number of total blocks (clusters) n iscalculated and obtained.

After the track information management file is obtained, the flowadvances to step 102. At step 102, a voice data file (ATRAC3 data file)is searched. All blocks of other than the management file is searchedfrom the flash memory. Blocks whose top value (BLKID) is A3D arecollected.

A block of which the value of the area CONNUM0 at the 16-th byte ofA3Dnnnn is the same as that of the area CONNUM-001 of the first musicprogram of the track information management file and of which the valueof the area BLOCK SERIAL that starts from 20-th byte is 0 is searched.After the first block is obtained, a block (cluster) with the same valueof the area CONNUM value as the first block and of which the value ofBLOCK SERIAL is incremented by 1 (1=0+1) is searched. After the secondblock is obtained, a block with the same value of the area CONNUM0 asthe second block and of which the value of the area BLOCK SERIAL isincremented by 1 (2=1+1) is searched.

By repeating the process, the ATRC3 data file is searched until n blocks(clusters) of the track 1 are obtained. When all the blocks (clusters)are obtained, they are successively stored to the hard disk.

The same process for the track 1 is performed for the track 2. In otherwords, a block of which the value of the area CONNUM0 is the same asthat of the area CONNUM-002 of the first music program of the trackinformation management file and of which the value of the area BLOCKSERIAL that starts at the 20-th byte is searched. Thereafter, in thesame manner as the track 1, the ATRAC3 data file is searched until thelast block (cluster) n′ is detected. After all blocks (clusters) areobtained, they are successively stored to the hard disk.

By repeating the above-described process for all tracks (the number oftracks: m), all the ATRAC3 data is stored to the hard disk controlled bythe recovering computer.

At step 103, the memory card whose the FAT has been destroyed isre-initialized and then the FAT is reconstructed. A predetermineddirectory is formed in the memory card. Thereafter, the trackinformation management file and the ATRAC3 data file for m tracks arecopied from the hard disk to the memory card. Thus, the recovery processis finished.

In the management file and data file, important parameters (inparticular, codes in headers) may be recorded triply rather than doubly.When data is redundantly recorded, the same data may be recorded at anypositions as long as they are apart from each other for one page ormore.

Next, a forge-checking process for a data file according to the firstembodiment will be described. Various types of information can bechecked for forged information such as reproduction management filePBLIST.MSF and TRAC3 data file that is compressed audio data. Since thereproduction management file PBLIST.MSF contains clock informationS-YMDhms, the clock information is checked so as to prevent the userfrom forging it.

A forge-check code is generated by calculating CONTENTS KEY (CK) of anATRAC3 data file generated along with the reproduction management filePBLIST.MSF using the hash function. In addition, since the file may beerased or moved, the value of CONTENTS KEY (CK) is stored in anotherfile. When clock information S-YMDhms has not been entered, all hashvalues are set to zero with no calculations. Whenever the clockinformation S-YMDhms is updated, the hash values are calculated.

With respect to an ATRAC3 data file that is audio data, track attributeA, reproduction limitation flag, security version LT, MG (D) serialnumber MG (D) Serial, contents cumulation number CONNUM, reproductionstart date/time YMDhms-S, reproduction expiration date/time YMDhms-E,number of track reproduction times CT, number of reproduction permissiontimes MT, copy control CC, and number of high speed digital copypermission times CN (optional) are forge-checked so as to prevent theuser from forging them. A forge-check code is generated by calculatingCONTENTS KEY (CK) of the ATRAC3 data file using the hash function. Whenthe ATRAC3 data file is divided or combined, with new CONTENTS KEY, thehash value is re-calculated.

FIG. 34 is a block diagram showing a forge-checking circuit of thedigital audio recorder according to the present invention. When a memorycard is attached to the digital audio recorder or when the reproductionbutton is pressed, the attached memory is authenticated. When the memorycard has been successfully authenticated, a DSP (Digital SignalProcessor) 30 causes the track information management file TRKLIST.MSFto be read from a flash memory of a memory card 40 to an S-RAM (StaticRAM) 31.

In FIG. 34, a reproduction limitation value block 70 is contained in thetrack information management file. The track information management fileis stored in a predetermined area of the flash memory of the memory card40. The reproduction limitation value block 70 is read from the flashmemory to the SRAM 31 (36). The reproduction limitation value block 70is forge-checked. The forge-checking circuit shown in FIG. 34 includes ahash calculating circuit 71, an encrypting circuit 22 havingpredetermined memory areas (72 and 73) that are non-volatile memories, amatch detecting circuit 74, and a controlling portion 75. Thecontrolling portion 75 has an inner clock 76. The hash calculatingcircuit 71, the match detecting circuit 74, and the controlling portion75 are accomplished with a hardware structure or software processes. Thesoftware processes are performed by the DSP 30. The hash calculatingcircuit 71 can be accomplished with for example a functional device thatcomposes the encrypting circuit 22.

The controlling portion 75 monitors the attached state of the memorycard 40. When the memory card 40 is attached to the digital audioplayer, the controlling portion 75 determines whether or not thereproducing operation of files stored in the memory card 40 is permittedcorresponding to predetermined information of the reproductionlimitation value block 70. The predetermined information is for exampletrack attribute A, reproduction limitation flag, security version LT, MG(D) serial number MG (D) Serial, contents cumulation number CONNUM,reproduction start date/time YMDhms-S, reproduction expiration date/timeYMDhms-E, number of track reproduction times CT, number of reproductionpermission times MT, COPY Control CC, number of high speed digital copypermission times CN (optional), CONTENTS KEY (CK), and so forth. Withrespect to the reproduction start date/time and reproduction expirationdate/time, they are compared with the date/time of the inner clock 76 soas to determine whether or not the reproducing operation is permitted.With respect to the number of track reproduction times CT and the numberof reproduction permission times MT, corresponding thereto, it isdetermined whether or not the reproducing operation is permitted.

The hash calculating circuit 71 calculates hash values of individualparameter of the reproduction limitation value block 70. The hash valuesare obtained using the hash function. When the reproduction limitationvalue block 70 is forged, the hash values are varied. The hash functionis generally defined in ISO/IEC 10118-1, JIS X5057-1. The hash functionis a function of which any two different input values that become thesame output value cannot be calculated. A calculated result of the hashcalculating circuit 71 is supplied to the encrypting circuit 22.

Control information is supplied from the controlling portion 75 to thenon-volatile memory of the encrypting circuit 22. Hash values calculatedbefore the reproducing operation are stored in the predetermined memoryarea 72 as current hash values. On the other hand, hash valuescalculated after the former reproducing operation are stored as formerhash values to the predetermined memory area 73. The current hash valuesand the former hash value stored in the encrypting circuit 22 are readand supplied to the match detecting circuit 74. The values in thepredetermined memory areas (72 and 73) of the flash memory of theencrypting circuit 22 cannot be read from the outside of the digitalaudio recorder. Thus, it is impossible to access the hash values storedin the areas 72 and 73 from the outside. Only a match detection resultof the match detecting circuit 74 can be read from the outside. An areathat cannot be accessed from the outside is referred to as tamperresistant area.

The match detecting circuit 74 compares the current hash values with theformer hash values. Depending on whether the current hash values are thesame as the former hash values, it is determined whether thereproduction limitation value block 70 has been forged. Output data ofthe match detecting circuit 74 is supplied to the controlling portion75.

The controlling portion 75 determines whether the reproducing operationis permitted or prohibited corresponding to both the determination basedon track attribute A, reproduction limitation flag, security version LT,MG (D) serial number MG (D) Serial, contents cumulation number CONNUM,reproduction start date/time YMDhms-S, reproduction expiration date/timeYMDhms-E, number of track reproduction times CT, number of reproductionpermission times MT, COPY CONTROL CC, number of high speed digital copypermission times CN (optional), and CONTENTS KEY (CK) and the outputdata of the match detecting circuit 74. The controlling portion 75generates control information corresponding to the determined result. Inother words, when it is determined that the reproduction limitationvalue block 70 has not been forged and the reproducing operation ispermitted, the controlling portion 75 generates control information thatpermits the reproducing operation.

On the other hand, when the reproduction limitation value block 70 hasbeen forged, the controlling portion 75 generates control informationthat prohibits the reproducing operation. Even if the reproductionlimitation value block 70 has not been forged, when the reproducingoperation is prohibited corresponding to track attribute A, reproductionlimitation flag, security version LT, MG (D) serial number MG (D)Serial, contents cumulation number CONNUM, reproduction start date/timeYMDhms-S, reproduction expiration date/time YMDhms-E, number of trackreproduction times CT, number of reproduction permission times MT, COPYCONTROL CC, number of high speed digital copy permission times CN(optional), and CONTENTS KEY (CK), the reproducing operation isprohibited.

In the above-described example, the forge-checking process for an ATRAC3data file was explained. Likewise, the forge-checking process isperformed for the clock information S-YMDhms contained in thereproduction management file PBLIST.MSF. A forge-check code is generatedby calculating CONTENTS KEY (CK) of the first program of an ATRAC3 datafile generated along with the reproduction management file PBLIST.MSFusing the hash function.

The calculating process of this example is performed in the same manneras that for an ATRAC3 data file. The circuit of this calculating processcan be shared with that for the ATRAC3 data file. Since the file may beerased or moved, the value of CONTENTS KEY (CK) is stored in anotherfile. When clock information S-YMDhms has not been entered, all hashvalues are set to zero with no calculations. Whenever the clockinformation S-YMDhms is updated, the hash values are calculated.

FIG. 35 shows a process of which an EMD (Electric Music Distribution)terminal (not shown) downloads an ATRAC3 data file in the formataccording to the first embodiment to a memory card. In addition, FIG. 35shows a process of which the END terminal downloads an ATRAC3 data filethat has been compressed and encrypted through a public line (ISDN line,telephone line, or satellite line) to a memory card. In this example, itis assumed that a memory card (flash memory) that has not been used(namely, a virgin memory card (flash memory)) is attached to the EMDterminal.

When a virgin memory card is attached to the EMD terminal at step SP101,a reproduction management file PBLIST.MSF is generated. In addition, thedownloaded date/time information is generated. The downloaded date/timeinformation is recorded as clock information S-YMDhms of thereproduction management file PBLIST.MSF.

At step SP102, when an ATRAC3 data file that has been compressed andencrypted is received through the public line (ISDN line, telephoneline, or satellite line) and recorded to the flash memory, an attributeheader is generated as shown in FIG. 9 and added to the ATRAC3 datafile.

At step SP103, with CONTENTS KEY (CK) contained in the attribute header,the hash calculating circuit 71 calculates the clock informationS-YMDhms of the reproduction management file PBLIST.MSF using the hashfunction and stores the calculated value to the memory area 73 of theencrypting circuit 22.

At step SP104, with CONTENTS KEY (CK) contained in the attribute header,the hash calculating circuit 71 calculates the reproduction limitationinformation (track attribute A, reproduction limitation flag, securityversion LT, reproduction start date/time YMDhms-S, reproductionexpiration date/time YMDhms-E, number of track reproduction times CT,number of reproduction permission times MT, COPY CONTROL CC, and numberof high speed digital copy permission times CN (optional) of the ATRACK3data file using the hash function. The calculated value obtained by thehash calculating circuit 71 is stored in the memory area 73 of theencrypting circuit 22.

In addition, with CONTENTS KEY (CK) contained in the attribute file, thehash calculating circuit 71 calculates the MG (D) serial number MG (D)Serial and the contents cumulation number CONNUM generated along withthe attribute file using the hash function. The calculated valueobtained by the hash calculating circuit 71 is stored in the memory area73 of the encrypting circuit 22. Since data is recorded to a virginflash memory, no data has been recorded in the memory area 72 of theencrypting circuit 22.

At step SP105, it is determined whether or not the flash memory has beendetached from the EMD terminal. When the determined result at step SP105is Yes, the flow advances to step SP106. At step SP106, it is determinedwhether or not the flash memory has been re-attached. When thedetermined result at step SP105 is No, the flow advances to step SP107.At step SP107, it is determined whether or not the power of the EMDterminal has been turned off.

When the determined result at step SP107 is Yes, the flow advances tostep SP108. At step SP108, it is determined whether or not the power hasbeen turned on again.

When the determined result at step SP106 is Yes or when the determinedresult at step SP108 is Yes, the flow advances to step SP109. At stepSP109, with CONTENTS KEY (CK) contained in the attribute header, thehash calculating circuit 71 calculates the clock information S-YMDhms ofthe reproduction management file PBLIST.MSF using the hash function. Thecalculated value obtained by the hash calculating circuit 71 is storedto the memory area 72 of the encrypting circuit 22.

At step SP110, it is determined whether or not the current hash valuesstored in the memory area 72 of the encrypting circuit 22 matches theformer hash values stored in the memory area 73 of the encryptingcircuit 22. When the determined result at step SP110 is Yes, the currenthash values stored in the memory area 72 of the encrypting circuit 22are copied to the former hash values stored in the memory area 73 of theencrypting circuit 22.

At step SP111, it is determined whether or not a reproduction commandhas been issued. When the determined result at step SP111 is Yes andwhen the determined result at step SP110 is Yes, the flow advances tostep SP112. At step SP112, with CONTENTS KEY (CK) stored in theattribute file of the ATRAC3 data file, the hash calculating circuit 71calculates the track attribute A, reproduction limitation flag, securityversion LT, MG (D) serial number MG (D) Serial, contents cumulationnumber CONNUM, reproduction start date/time YMDhms-S, reproductionexpiration date/time YMDhms-E, number of track reproduction times CT,number of reproduction permission times MT, COPY CONTROL CC, and numberof high speed digital copy permission times CN (optional) of theattribute file added to the ATRAC3 data file corresponding to thereproduction command using the hash function. The calculated valueobtained by the hash calculating circuit 71 is stored in the memory area72 of the encrypting circuit 22.

Thereafter, the flow advances to step SP113. At step SP113, it isdetermined whether or not the hash values stored in the memory area 72of the encrypting circuit 22 obtained by the hash calculating circuit 71match the hash values stored in the memory area 73 of the encryptingcircuit 22.

The match detecting circuit 74 compares the currently calculated hashvalues with the formerly calculated hash values. When they match, it isdetermined that any information of track attribute A, reproductionlimitation flag, security version LT, MG (D) serial number MG (D)Serial, contents cumulation number CONNUM, reproduction start date/timeYMDhms-S, reproduction expiration date/time YMDhms-E, number of trackreproduction times CT, number of reproduction permission times MT, COPYCONTROL CC, and number of high speed digital copy permission times CN(optional) of the attribute file has not been forged. Thereafter, theflow advances to step SP114. At step SP114, the reproducing operation ofthe ATRAC3 data file is permitted.

When the determined result at step SP113 is No, it is determined thatsome of the track attribute A, reproduction limitation flag, securityversion LT, MG (D) serial number MG (D) Serial, contents cumulationnumber CONNUM, reproduction start date/time YMDhms-S, reproductionexpiration date/time YMDhms-E, number of track reproduction times CT,number of reproduction permission times MT, COPY CONTROL CC, and numberof high speed digital copy permission times CN (optional) of theattribute file has been forged. In this case, the flow advances to stepSP115. At step SP115, the reproducing operation of the ATRAC3 data fileis prohibited. Thereafter, the flow advances to step SP116. At stepSP116, a forging flag is set.

When the ATRAC3 data file is reproduced, it is determined whether or notpredetermine values (any positive integers) have been set to the numberof track reproduction times CT and the number of reproduction permissiontimes MT. When a predetermined value has been set to the number of trackreproduction times CT, it is decremented by 1. When the number of trackreproduction times CT is zero and a predetermined number (any positiveinteger) has been set to the number of reproduction permission times MT,since the reproducing operation has been performed the number ofreproduction permission times, the reproducing operation of the ATRAC3data file is prohibited.

Next, a real example of the operation of the EMD terminal in the formataccording to the second embodiment will be described in detail. FIG. 36shows an example of a process of which the EMD (Electric Musicdistribution) terminal downloads a music file having a two-timesreproduction limitation. For simplicity, it is assumed that thereproduction expiration date/time is not limited. The EMD terminal hasthe same encrypting circuit (not shown) as the above-described digitalaudio recorder. The encrypting circuit authenticates an attached memorycard. When the attached memory card has been successfully authenticated,the encrypting circuit records an encrypted audio file (ATRAC3 datafile) to the memory card. In addition, the EMD terminal suppliesreproduction limitation information of the audio file to the digitalaudio recorder.

The digital audio recorder performs a formatting process for the audiofile and the reproduction limitation information and records theformatted data to the flash memory. In FIG. 36, when the EMD terminaldownloads data to the digital audio recorder, it performs a processdenoted by S201. At step S1, the digital audio recorder receives datahaving a reproduction times limitation from the EMD terminal and sets(MT=2) and (CT=2) to TRKINF of the track information management fileTRKLIST.

In addition, the hash calculating circuit 71 calculates hash values ofseveral parameters (reproduction limitation value block 70) includingMT, CT, and CONTENTS ID. The hash values calculated by the hashcalculating circuit 71 is stored to the memory area 73 of the encryptingcircuit 22. Thereafter, when the power of the digital audio recorder isturned off or when the memory card 40 is detached, the reproductionlimitation value block 70 is checked for forged information Ifnecessary, whenever the reproducing operation is performed, thereproduction limitation value block 70 can be checked for forgedinformation.

After the memory card 40 is detached and then attached again, when thereproduction command is issued at step S3, the flow advances to stepS202. At step S4, the hash calculating circuit 71 calculates hash valuesof the reproduction limitation value block 70. The hash valuescalculated by the hash calculating circuit 71 are stored as current hashvalues to the memory area 72 of the encrypting circuit 22. The currenthash values and the former hash values are read and supplied to thematch detecting circuit 74. The match detecting circuit 74 compares thecurrent hash values with the former hash values. Depending on whetherthey match, the match detecting circuit 74 determines whether or not thereproduction limitation value block 70 has been forged. The matchdetecting circuit 74 supplies the detected result to the controllingportion 75.

Corresponding to the output data of the match detecting circuit 74, thecontrolling portion 75 forms control information. In other words, whenthe reproduction limitation value block 70 has not been forged, sincethe current hash values are the same as the former hash values, forgedinformation is not detected. In this case, since the number ofreproduction times CT is not zero (CT≠0), the flow advances to step S5.At step S5, the controlling portion 75 forms control information forcontrolling the reproducing operation and starts the reproducingoperation. After the reproducing operation has been completed, the flowadvances to step S6. At step S6, the number of reproduction times CT isdecremented and thereby (CT=1) is set. In addition, hash values of thereproduction limitation value block 70 are calculated and stored as theformer hash values to the memory area 73.

After the memory card 40 is detached and then attached again, when thereproduction command is issued at step S7, the flow advances to stepS203. At step S203, the same process as step S202 is performed. In otherwords, hash values of the reproduction limitation value block 70 arecalculated and compared with the former hash values. Thus, it isdetermined whether or not the reproduction limitation value block 70 hasbeen forged (at step S8). When the reproduction limitation value block70 has not been forged, the reproducing operation is performed (at stepS9). Thereafter, the number of reproduction times CT is decremented by 1and thereby (CT=0) is set (at step S10).

After the number of reproduction times CT is set to zero (CT=0),regardless of whether the reproduction limitation value block 70 hasbeen forged, the number of reproduction times CT is considered withpriority. Thus, the reproducing operation is prohibited. For example,after the memory card 40 is detached and then attached again, when thereproduction command is issued at step S11, the flow advances to stepS12. At step S12, hash values of the reproduction limitation value block70 are calculated and then the current hash values are compared with theformer hash values. Since the current hash values match the former hashvalues, normally, the reproducing operation is permitted. However, sincethe number of reproduction times CT is zero (CT=0), the reproducingoperation is prohibited. Thus, in this case, the controlling portion 75forms control information that prohibits the reproducing operation (atstep S13). In addition, with a speaker and/or a display, the user isinformed that because the number of reproduction times CT matches thenumber of reproduction permission times MT, the reproducing operation isprohibited.

Next, the case of which TRKINF of the track information management fileTRKLIST has been forged will be described. For example, it is assumedthat TRKINF has been forged at step S111 and that the number ofreproduction permission times MT of the music file has been forged to 10(MT=10).

When the reproduction command has been issued at step S22, the flowadvances to step S23. At step S23, hash values of the reproductionlimitation value block 70 are calculated. The hash values are stored asthe current hash values to the memory area 72. The match detectingcircuit 74 determines whether the current hash values match the formerhash values. In this case, since the reproduction limitation value block70 has been forged, the match detecting circuit 74 determines that theydo not match. Thus, the controlling portion 75 forms control informationthat prohibits the reproducing operation (at step S23). Thus, at stepS24, the reproducing operation is not performed. In this case, with thespeaker and display, the user is informed that because the reproductionlimitation values block 70 has been forged, the reproducing operation isprohibited.

Thereafter, the flow advances to step S25. At step S25, the forging flagis set to a predetermined position (for example, the area “Reserved”shown in FIG. 27) of TRKINF of TRKLIST. The hash values are calculatedand stored. In the state that the forging flag has been set, even if thenumber of reproduction permission times MT is set to 2 (MT=2), since theforging flag has been set, the reproducing operation is prohibited (atstep S26). In other words, before an ATRACK3 data file is reproduced,the forging flag is checked. When the forging flag is detected, thecontrolling portion 75 determines that reproducing operation isprohibited. Thus, in this case, the controlling portion 75 forms controlinformation that prohibits the reproducing operation. Thus, thereproducing operation is not performed.

In the above-described example, whenever the reproducing operation isperformed, the number of reproduction times CT is decremented by 1. Whenthe number of reproduction times CT becomes zero (CT=0), the reproducingoperation is prohibited. Alternatively, whenever the reproducingoperation is performed, the number of reproduction times CT may beincremented by 1. When the number of reproduction times CT is equal tothe number of reproduction permission times MT (MT=CT), the reproducingoperation may be prohibited. As another alternative method, the numberof reproduction permission times MT may be decremented by 1 without thenumber of reproduction times CT.

Next, the case of which only the reproduction expiration date/time(YMDhms-E) of a track having a reproduction limitation has been set toTRKINF of TRKLIST without the number of reproduction permission times MTand the number of reproduction times CT.

When a music file having a reproduction expiration date/time isdownloaded from the EMD terminal to the memory card, the reproductionexpiration date/time is written to the track information management fileof the memory card. Hash values of the reproduction limitation valueblock 70 including the reproduction expiration date/time are calculated.The hash values are stored as former hash values to the memory area 73of the encrypting circuit 22. Thereafter, when the power of the digitalaudio recorder is turned off, when the memory card 40 is detached, or ifnecessary, when the reproduction command is issued, before thereproducing operation is performed, the reproduction limitation valueblock 70 is checked for forged information. In addition, the date/timeof the inner clock 76 of the controlling portion 75 is matched with thereproduction expiration date/time.

After the memory card 40 is detached and then attached, when thereproduction command is issued, hash values of the reproductionlimitation value block 70 are calculated. The match detecting circuit 74compares the hash values currently calculated with the hash valuesformerly calculated. Depending on whether they match, the matchdetecting circuit 74 determines whether the reproduction limitationvalue block 70 has been forged. In addition, the match detecting circuit74 compares the date/time of the inner clock 76 with the reproductionexpiration date/time. When the reproduction limitation value block 70has not been forged and the date/time of the inner clock 76 is beforethe reproduction expiration date/time as the determined results of thematch detecting circuit 74, the reproducing operation is performed.

On the other hand, when the reproduction limitation value block 70 hasbeen forged as the determined results of the match detecting circuit 74,the reproducing operation is prohibited. In addition, when the date/timeof the inner clock 76 exceeds the reproduction expiration date/time asthe determined results of the match detecting circuit 74, even if thereproduction limitation value block 70 has not been forged, anexpiration flag is set to a predetermined position (for example, thearea “Reserved” shown in FIG. 27) of TRKINF of TRKLIST. In addition, thereproduction expiration date/time is determined with priority againstwhether or not the reproduction limitation value block has been forged.Thus, the reproducing operation is prohibited.

In other words, before a data file is reproduced, the current hashvalues and the former hash values are compared. When they do not match,since it is determined that the reproduction limitation value block 70has been forged, the reproducing operation is prohibited. However, evenif the current hash values match the former hash values, unless thereproduction expiration date/time is proper, the reproducing operationis prohibited. When the reproducing operation is prohibited, with thespeaker or display, the user is informed of a relevant message. Even ifthe date/time of the inner clock 76 exceeds the reproduction expirationdate/time, hash values of the reproduction limitation value block 70 arecalculated and stored against future forged information.

Next, the case of which only the music file reproduction start date/time(YMDhms-S) rather than the number of reproduction permission times MTand the number of reproduction times CT has been set to TRKINF ofTRKLIST will be described.

When a music file is downloaded from the EMD terminal to a memory card,the reproduction start date/time is written to the track informationmanagement file. Hash values of the reproduction limitation value block70 including the reproduction expiration date/time are calculated andsupplied to the encrypting circuit 22. The hash values are supplied tothe encrypting circuit 22. The hash values are stored as former hashvalues to the memory area 73 of the encrypting circuit 22. When thepower of the digital audio recorder is turned off or when the memorycard 40 is detached, before the reproducing operation is performed, itis determined whether or not the reproduction limitation value block 70has been forged. In addition, it is determined whether the date/time ofthe inner clock 76 of the controlling portion 75 matches thereproduction start date/time.

For example, after the memory card 40 is detached and then attached,when the reproduction command is issued, the current hash values and theformer hash values are compared. Corresponding to whether or not theymatch, it is determined whether or not the reproduction limitation valueblock 70 has been forged. In addition, the date/time of the inner clock76 and the reproduction start date/time are compared. When thereproduction limitation value block 70 has not been forged and thedate/time of the inner clock 76 exceeds the reproduction state date/timeas the determined results, the reproducing operation is permitted.

On the other hand, when the reproduction limitation value block 70 hasbeen forged, as with the above-described case, the reproducing operationis prohibited. In addition, even if the reproduction limitation valueblock 70 has not been forged, when the date/time of the inner clock 76does not exceed the reproduction start date/time as the determinedresults, the reproduction start date/time is determined with priorityagainst forged information. Thus, the reproducing operation isprohibited.

In the above-described example, to detect forged information, hashvalues of individual parameters (CONTENTS ID, number of reproductiontimes CT, number of reproduction permission times MT, reproductionexpiration date/time, and reproduction start date/time) of thereproduction limitation value block are calculated. Alternatively, thesehash values may be calculated for each music file.

In the above-described example, the present invention was applied to adigital audio recorder. Alternatively, the present invention can beapplied to other apparatuses that deal with other types of data such asvideo data, audio data, program data, and so forth.

According to the present invention, hash values of reproductionlimitation information are calculated. The obtained hash values arestored in a memory area that cannot be accessed from the outside of theapparatus. Depending on whether the former hash values and the currenthash values match, it is determined whether or not reproductionlimitation information has been forged. When the controlling portiondetects forged information corresponding to the output data of thecomparing means, the controlling portion prohibits the reproducingoperation. Thus, according to the present invention, forged informationcan be securely detected. When forged information is detected, thereproducing operation of the file having the forged information can beprohibited.

Although the present invention has been shown and described with respectto a best mode embodiment thereof, it should be understood by thoseskilled in the art that the foregoing and various other changes,omissions, and additions in the form and detail thereof may be madetherein without departing from the spirit and scope of the presentinvention.

1. A reproducing apparatus for reproducing data from a record mediumhaving a program area and a management area, the program area being usedfor recording a plurality of files, the management area being used forrecording management data of a particular file recorded in the programarea, the apparatus comprising: calculating means for generating a groupintegrity check value for said file when said file is reproduced;storing means for storing said group integrity check value generated bysaid calculating means; comparing means operable when a record medium isre-attached to said reproducing apparatus for reproducing data, forcomparing a former group integrity check value, associated with therecord medium and generated by said calculating means at a time when aformer reproduction command was performed, with a current groupintegrity check value generated by said calculating means at the timewhen a current reproduction command is performed, and for comparing avalue of at least one of plural individual parameters on the re-attachedrecord medium with a corresponding value of that parameter stored in thereproducing apparatus; and controlling means for permitting a filecorresponding to the current reproduction command to be reproduced, andtransferred to the record medium when said comparing means determinesthat said former group integrity check value is the same as said currentgroup integrity check value, and that said value of the at least oneindividual parameter coincides with the corresponding value of thatparameter stored in the reproducing apparatus; wherein said groupintegrity check value is generated from a group of managementinformation of a plurality of files; wherein said group integrity checkvalue is based on a sequence number recorded in an area of the recordmedium that can not be read by a non-copyright protection type device;and wherein said at least one individual parameter is a reproductionstart time value stored on the record medium.
 2. The reproducingapparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the group of managementinformation is at least the number of reproduction times and/or areproduction limitation value.
 3. The reproducing apparatus as set forthin claim 1, wherein the group of management information is fileattribute information, reproduction limitation flag, reproduction startdate/time, reproduction expiration date/time, number of filereproduction times, number of reproduction permission times, copycontrol flag, and number of high speed digital copy permission times. 4.The reproducing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of thefiles contains encryption key information, and wherein said calculatingmeans calculates both the encryption key information contained in a filecorresponding to the current clock value and group of managementinformation using the predetermined function.
 5. The reproducingapparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of the files containsencryption key information, wherein when a particular file is edited,new encryption key information is generated, and wherein saidcalculating means calculates the new encryption key information andgroup of management information using the predetermined function.
 6. Thereproducing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further comprising: aninner timer, wherein said controlling means prohibits the reproducingoperation when the date/time information counted by the inner timermatches the reproduction start date/time.
 7. The reproducing apparatusas set forth in claim 1, wherein the management area contains thedate/time information counted by the inner timer, wherein saidcalculating means calculates the date/time information using thepredetermined function, wherein said comparing means compares the valuecalculated by said calculating means corresponding to the formerreproduction command with that corresponding to the current reproductioncommand, and wherein said controlling means permits the reproducingoperation when the value calculated corresponding to the formerreproduction command matches the value calculated corresponding to thecurrent reproduction command as the result of said comparing means. 8.The reproduction apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein saiddate/time information indicates last recording date/time information andis included in reproduction management information which manages a filereproduction order.
 9. The reproduction apparatus as set forth in claim1, wherein said comparing means and said storing means for storing saidgroup integrity check value is located within one controller.
 10. Thereproduction apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein an integritycheck value for each file of said plurality of files is stored in saidrecord medium.
 11. The reproduction apparatus as set forth in claim 10,wherein said record medium is a memory card having a controller andmemory for storing files, said group integrity check value is stored insaid controller, and said integrity check values corresponding torespective ones of said plurality of files are stored in said memory.12. The reproduction apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein saidcomparing means compares said former group integrity check value andsaid current group integrity check value when a record medium connectedto said reproducing apparatus.
 13. A reproducing apparatus forreproducing a file from a record medium on which a main file, areproduction management file and a plurality of other files arerecorded, the main file having an attribute header for managing forgingprohibition information, the reproduction management file being used formanaging reproduction of said main file, the apparatus comprising:calculating means for generating a group integrity check value frominformation in said management file whenever the main file recorded onthe record medium is reproduced; storing means for storing said groupintegrity check value generated by said calculating means; comparingmeans operable when a record medium is re-attached to said reproducingapparatus for reproducing data, for comparing a former group integritycheck value, associated with the record medium generated by saidcalculating means at a time when a former reproduction command wasperformed, with a current group integrity check value generated by saidcalculating means at the time when a current reproduction command isperformed, and for comparing a value of at least one of pluralindividual parameters on the re-attached record medium with acorresponding value of that parameter stored in the reproducingapparatus; and controlling means for permitting the main file to bereproduced, and transferred to the record medium when said comparingmeans determines that said former group integrity check value is thesame as said current group integrity check value, and that said value ofthe at least one individual parameter coincides with the correspondingvalue of that parameter stored in the reproducing apparatus; whereinsaid group integrity check value is generated from a group of managementinformation of said main file and said plurality of other files; whereinsaid group integrity check value is based on a sequence number recordedin an area of the record medium that can not be read by a non-copyrightprotection type device; and wherein said at least one individualparameter is a reproduction start time value stored on the recordmedium.
 14. The reproducing apparatus as set forth in claim 13, whereinthe group of management information is at least the number ofreproduction times and/or a reproduction limitation value.
 15. Thereproducing apparatus as set forth in claim 13, wherein the group ofmanagement information is file attribute information, reproductionlimitation flag, reproduction start date/time, reproduction expirationdate/time, number of file reproduction times, number of reproductionpermission times, copy control flag, and number of high speed digitalcopy permission times.
 16. The reproducing apparatus as set forth inclaim 13, further comprising: an inner timer, wherein said controllingmeans prohibits the reproducing operation when the date/time informationcounted by the inner timer matches the reproduction expirationdate/time.
 17. The reproducing apparatus as set forth in claim 13,wherein each main file contains encryption key information, and whereinsaid calculating means calculates both the encryption key informationcontained in a main file corresponding to the current clock value andgroup of management information using the predetermined function. 18.The reproducing apparatus as set forth in claim 13, wherein the clockinformation is generated whenever a file is recorded, and wherein saidcalculating means calculates the key information and the clockinformation contained in the main file using a predetermined function.19. The reproducing apparatus as set forth in claim 13, wherein eachmain file contains encryption key information, wherein whenever apredetermined file is edited, new encryption key information isgenerated, and wherein said calculating means calculates the newencryption key information and the group of management information usinga predetermined function.
 20. A reproducing method for reproducing datafrom a record medium having a program area and a management area, theprogram area being used for recording a plurality of files, themanagement area being used for recording management data of a particularfile recorded in the program area, the method comprising the steps of:generating a group integrity check value for said file when said file isreproduced; storing said group integrity check value, and storing atleast one of plural individual parameters on the record medium;comparing, when said record medium is re-attached to a reproducingapparatus for reproducing data, a former group integrity check value,associated with the record medium and generated at a time when a formerreproduction command was performed, with a current group integrity checkvalue generated at the time when a current reproduction command isperformed, and comparing at least one of said individual parameters onthe re-attached record medium with a corresponding value of thatparameter stored in the reproducing apparatus; and permitting the filecorresponding to the current reproduction command to be reproduced whenit is determined in said comparing step that said former group integritycheck value is the same as said current group integrity check value andthat said value of the at least one individual parameters coincides withthe corresponding value of that parameter stored in the reproducingapparatus; wherein said group integrity check value is generated from agroup of management information of a plurality of files; wherein saidgroup integrity check value is based on a sequence number recorded in anarea of the record medium that can not be read by a non-copyrightprotection type device; and wherein said at least one individualparameter is a reproduction start time value stored on the recordmedium.
 21. A reproducing method operable by a reproducing apparatus forreproducing a file from a record medium on which a main file, areproduction management file and a plurality of other files arerecorded, the main file having an attribute header for managing forgingprohibition information, the reproduction management file being used forreproduction of said main file, the method comprising the steps of:generating a group integrity check value from information in saidmanagement file whenever the main file recorded on the record medium isreproduced; storing said group integrity check value, and storing atleast one of plural individual parameters on the record medium;comparing, when said record medium is re-attached to a reproducingapparatus for reproducing data, a former group integrity check valuegenerated when a former reproduction command was performed, with acurrent group integrity check value generated when a currentreproduction command is performed, and comparing at least one of saidindividual parameters on the re-attached record medium with acorresponding value of that parameter stored in the reproducingapparatus; and permitting the main file to be reproduced when saidcomparing means determines that said former group integrity check valueis the same as said current group integrity check value and that saidvalue of the at least one individual parameters coincides with thecorresponding value of that parameter stored in the reproducingapparatus; wherein said group integrity check value is generated from agroup of management information of said main file and said plurality ofother files; wherein said group integrity check value is based on asequence number recorded in an area of the record medium that can not beread by a non-copyright protection type device; and wherein said atleast one individual parameter is a reproduction start time value storedon the record medium.
 22. A computer readable record medium forcontrolling a processor, comprising: a program area for storing aplurality of files; and a management area for storing management data ofa particular file recorded in the program area, such that the processor:(a) generates a group integrity check value is generated from managementinformation for said file when said file is reproduced, (b) compares aformer group integrity check value generated at the time when a formerreproduction command was performed is compared with a current groupintegrity check value generated at the time when a current reproductioncommand is performed when the record medium is re-attached to areproducing apparatus for reproducing data, and (c) reproduces the filecorresponding to the current reproduction command is reproduced when itis determined that said former group integrity check value is the sameas said current group integrity check value and that said value of theat least one individual parameters coincides with the correspondingvalue of that parameter stored in the reproducing apparatus, saidmanagement area further storing at least one of plural individualparameters to be compared for controlling the processor to compare witha corresponding value of that parameter stored in the reproducingapparatus; wherein said group integrity check value associated with therecord medium is generated from a group of management information of aplurality of files; and wherein said group integrity check value isbased on a sequence number recorded in an area of the record medium thatcan not be read by a non-copyright protection type device; and whereinsaid at least one individual parameter is a reproduction start timevalue stored on the record medium.